Damnation
by Shining Zephyr
Summary: PostMGS: Otacon has found a cure for FoxDie, but it's located on Shadow Moses. When Snake goes to get it, he penetrates the facility once more to not only find the key to saving his life... but also his mind...
1. Whisperings

**Seeing as I have become a rabid MGS fan over these past couple of weeks, I figured I'd try my hand at a purely-centric MGS fic. It's odd- I've done bits and pieces from different scenes in the game MGS1, but never one that was post-game or anything. A new experience for all of us. Hope you enjoy this trip as much as I hope to.**

**This is post-MGS1, but doesn't have any spoilers for the future. If it does, I'll warn ya.**

**I do not own Metal Gear Solid. All other mentionings of anything coincidental are… well, a coincidence.**

* * *

1. Whisperings

_Silence. He looked up at the large nuclear weapon for several seconds; unable to comprehend that he was actually standing in front of REX. The air seemed to be chillier in this section of the whole facility than actually stepping outside into the snowfield of where he faced Sniper Wolf. His breathing quickened, his hand on the SOCOM steady and out in front of him. **'It's way too quiet in here,'** he thought, looking around. **'This is not good.'**_

_Movement. He turned around and took another breath. There was another noise. He was hearing stuff. Again. The nanomachines controlled the adrenaline flowing through his body, but he couldn't help but feel the weird tingle in his body that told him something was going to happen. Something he didn't like._

_He ducked down near the stairways and checked his gun. Full magazine- check. Ammo- check. Affinity to save the world and make sure nuclear destruction doesn't destroy the earth? Check._

_- - -_

He felt horrible. Another terrible night's sleep filled with Shadow Moses dreams and more fights with Big Boss and Liquid… he groaned and rolled over on his side, feeling a wet nose nuzzle his hand. The man opened one eye and gave the husky a slight smile. "All right, Aero. I'm up, I'm up," he muttered, pushing away its head slightly. "I'm coming."

Solid Snake didn't move, though, for some several seconds before finally sitting up and swinging his feet over the bed ever so slowly, rubbing his head. October 2006- nearly a whole year had passed since the Shadow Moses Island incident in which he had stopped nuclear warfare and terrorists from taking control of the planet. And yet, the man still had dream after nightmare after terrifying dream of images from his past. He could see Meryl dying in front of him.

He could see Sniper Wolf's pained eyes pleading to be free from the earth where she once walked.

He could see Gray Fox's look of pain as he told his best friend the truth about Naomi Hunter.

The husky's whine jolted him out of his daydream, and he rose from the bed, leaning back and hearing a crack in his back. Wincing, he remembered his age acceleration and walked out of the room, moaning and shaking his head. He wasn't even thirty-five yet, but he felt much older than his years portrayed his image. For all Snake knew, he could have been fifty-four or something. The man had done more missions and retired so many times, he was beginning to wonder if he was taking really long breaks or extremely short retirements. Either way…

"Hey, Snake!"

The man rubbed one of his eyes free of sleep and gave his home companion a wearied look. "I told you to call me Dave, _Otacon,"_ he quipped back, reaching the table and placing both hands on it, stretching slightly. "So, seen anything?"

Hal 'Otacon' Emmerich shook his head. "Not a thing. I keep looking and looking, but nothing." He shrunk slightly at Dave's piercing gaze. "Hey, stop that! I'm trying here! I'm not a scientist of medicine; I'm a nuclear weapons designer!"

The antihero sighed and sat down in a chair, petting Aero in the process. "I'm not complaining, Hal. I'm just getting slightly frustrated at this. You've been going at this for a couple of months now, but you still haven't found a cure." He gave another stifled yawn and put his head in his hand. "Is there anything you need me to do right now- besides staying out of your way?"

Hal laughed. "Nope. I'm good for now." He continued typing some things into the computer, mumbling under his breath every so often. Snake- or Dave- watched the self-proclaimed _otaku_ in amusement before getting up from his chair and walking out into the kitchen. Hal blinked at this abrupt leave and looked back at the screen, clicking a couple of things and rubbing his head. He wasn't watching anime for once- no, he was on a mission. A mission to help Dave have a better life.

The cure for FoxDie was apparently very elusive and had been in the hands of too many black marketers for as long as he could remember. Ever since the FOXHOUND rebellion had taken place, the creator of Metal Gear REX had spent days- sometimes long and painful- trying to search for this cure. It wasn't himself who had the virus… but Dave.

His hero from the hellhole had been infected with the destructive disease and was now living with a lifespan of who knew how long. Naomi Hunter, the one who had distributed it to him in the first place, didn't even have any idea how long Dave had left to live. She even told him that he was supposed to get injected with it in the first place- it hadn't been her place to say whether or not he should have gotten injected with it.

That still didn't make Dave have any less bitter feelings towards her now. Whenever the scientist mentioned her name, the killer would frown and merely tune out to the voice of Hal. It would stir up memories of Shadow Moses that he didn't want to remember.

Dave thought of the place enough as it was already. He didn't need to hear any more stories about evading guards and using stealth camouflage from his anime friend.

Hal looked up from the computer for a moment and walked out into the kitchen. "What is it this time?"

Dave turned away. "It's nothing. Another bad night sleeping."

"You look as if something more has happened to you," his friend observed, crossing his arms and looking all over Snake's body. "Anything bad happen to you while I was at that convention?"

"Nope."

Hal raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Dave stared right back at him. No words were exchanged for a moment.

Finally, the brunette turned back to the room with the computer and walked in with resolve, leaving the black-haired man alone with his thoughts. Sleep deprivation was either starting to get to him, or something was wrong.

Problem was, he didn't know which one was true.

* * *

**Hopefully, this was pretty decent. Gods, I'm entering a new fandom again… -headdesk- Enjoy this tale and hope for more updates! Reviews are loved.**


	2. Images

**I won't lie to you- this first chapter was an intro one. Let's see how this one fares, shall we?**

**Thanks for the reviews** FernClaw, Hordak's Pupil, Solid Snake's Soldier, Jag Lady, MutantLover09, Andi Mack, Marie Nomad, drybonesreborn

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2. Images

It had been going on for quite a couple of nights now. Hal was beginning to notice the symptoms, too- irritability, longing for more sleep, and other things. He wondered if it could have been insomnia, but he knew that more than likely wasn't the case. The twists and turns in bed could practically be heard across the hallway from where he was sleeping. Dave's body would shift from one side to another, muttering and moaning, while Aero would be nuzzling him slightly and circling the end of his bed and whining quietly.

Hal wondered how he got eight hours of sleep with the amount of noise in the house these days.

He sat at the computer for several seconds, staring at the screen and not typing anything. Finally, he stifled a yawn and went back to searching for whatever he could to cure Dave of his problem. "There's gotta be someone on here that knows where this cure is!" he muttered in exasperation. "Or they've got to be insane to ask for a lot of money for the thing."

There was no response to this statement as he continued his search.

* * *

It was soft at first. All voices were soft when you first heard them. It tickled the back of his mind as well, taunting him. He had tried to block out the voice, but it just kept returning and whispering thoughts to him.

The first time he had heard the voice, it merely said single words, like _"death," "FoxDie," "Snake."_ At first, he thought it was just a horrible effect with the incidents of the past. PTSD- only with hearing voices and dreaming about incidents and other crap like that. Dave thought it would all pass over time, that he'd get over it within a couple of months. He figured it'd be better than the aftermath of the Zanzibarland incident. But he was wrong.

It haunted him more than he had ever dreamed of.

And it started that morning with a real wake-up call after Hal had left the kitchen.

Dave looked in the cupboard and groaned aloud, shutting the door and placing his hands on the counter. They were all out of meat and nearly running dry of… well, dry foods. He rubbed his head and turned to another cupboard, opening the door and finding a can of peaches inside. Smiling to himself, he walked over to a drawer and fished out a manual can opener, sliding it onto the top of the peaches can and proceeding to open it over the sink. _'At least opening this thing works SOME muscles,'_ he thought cynically as the lid popped off and…

_"Snake…"_

He stopped for a moment and looked up and at the wall, hearing a hiss in his ear. The man took a deep breath and closed his eyes. It sounded British and polished- well educated and too familiar for his taste. Dave gritted his teeth, his hands now gripping the underside of the countertop. Oh, yes- this voice that sometimes haunted his nightmares now; the one that always decided to come for him in the middle of the night. The one who once laid claim to the recessive genes of their father, Big Boss.

Liquid Snake.

_"Did you like my sunglasses…?"_ the voice taunted him.

Dave didn't move. He wasn't going to believe in some silly little voice that had begun creeping into his dreams over the past couple of nights. No way in hell that he was going to believe in something like this. But the more he tried to convince himself otherwise, the more he got a feeling of dread in his stomach. A shiver ran down his spine as he clenched his fist. "Liquid…"

He turned around and froze. There, standing right behind him in full form- brown trench coat and all- was his golden-haired brother. Liquid didn't look to be any different than he had a year ago. He had that same smug look on his face clearly screamed "_I know something you don't!"_ He flipped his hair back with a flick of a finger and smirked at Dave. "Hello there, _brother,"_ he greeted.

The killer didn't move. He made no sound as his brother slowly walked towards him, his hand out as if he was inviting him. "Liquid?" he whispered, his body against the counter behind him. "I… how…?"

"You really thought I would die from FoxDie?" the man asked casually. "I'm not sure if a little virus can really bring me down."

This… was this real? Was his enemy for eternity really alive?

Dave ground his teeth. "But I saw you die! Right in front of me! Meryl saw you die- you and your bloodied body fell to the FoxDie from the simulated heart attack. There's no way in hell you can be alive!"

Liquid grinned. "Can you explain why I'm here with you? And why in the world the creator of Metal Gear hasn't come out of his computer hold?"

Now that he mentioned it, Hal _hadn't_ come into the room to see if Liquid was really there. Dave shook his head, feeling confusion mix with raw anger. Something was wrong here… really wrong. He eyed Liquid warily. "What do you want? You've failed in everything. Your dreams crashed on your head. They died with the FoxDie!"

"Did they, Snake?" the blonde inquired quietly, taking another step forward, his hand still extended. "Or are they still as alive as ever?"

In frustrated anger, Dave attempted to slap his hand away… only to have it pass right through the brother's hand. Within seconds, Liquid's form dissipated, mist flying away from where his body once stood. Surprise seemed to keep Dave rooted on the spot as he looked at his hand and the spot where Liquid once stood. Swallowing, he let out a low deep sigh. "What the hell?" he muttered.

* * *

"Hey, Dave?"

The man turned around at the sound of his companion's voice as he put his hand on the door. Aero whined softly. His voice was flat. "What is it?"

Hal looked worried. "You okay?"

Dave clenched the doorknob, keeping his voice steady. "Of course I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I couldn't help but overhear you in the kitchen. You kept muttering things about Liquid, as if you were having another dream or someone was in there or something." He crossed his arms. "What happened?"

His friend hesitated slightly. Aero nuzzled his leg again in agitation. He opened the door, and she went happily bounding into the snow, greeting her other husky friends with a cheerful bark. Dave shut the door and glanced down at the floorboards for a moment. He contemplated telling the engineer about the little encounter he had in the kitchen, but he didn't need Hal worrying more than he already did.

He looked up at Hal and shook his head. "It wasn't anything really. I was just talking aloud."

"Uh-huh." Hal sounded skeptical. "Look, if you're having more problems with your sleeping habits and stuff, you need to tell someone! You can't just go through life not telling anyone about what…"

Dave crossed his arms. "Look, _Otacon._ Like I said, it was nothing. I was just talking to myself in the kitchen. Kind of like reenacting a…" He realized the lie was getting him nowhere. "All right, fine. I need to ask you something." When Hal didn't answer, he continued in a lower voice, glancing around for a moment before speaking. "If you heard me talking out in the kitchen before… I need to ask you this."

Hal waited expectantly.

"Did you hear Liquid's voice?"

That most certainly was _not_ what the engineer was ready to hear. He blinked a few times, shaking his head. "N-no, I didn't! Why? Did you hear him?"

Dave said nothing. Hal took the silence as a blatant 'yes.' He shook his head. "When did this start happening?"

"A couple of days ago. Why?"

Hal pursed his lips. "Do you think this is a really long aftereffect of what happened a year ago? Or is this something worse than before?"

Dave shrugged. "I don't know. But I hear Liquid's voice every now and again, and it's just taunting me from the day on the island." He grabbed the handle to the door in frustration. "I don't get it, Hal. Why now? Why these stupid memories and the whisperings in my ear? What did I do?"

"I don't know," Hal admitted quietly. "But we can both figure this out together. I promise."

Dave finally opened the door. "I'm going out for a little bit with the dogs," he muttered, feeling the cold air slap at his face. "Aero wanted a walk, and she's going to get a walk. Do whatever you want to in the house, but just make sure you don't try to set the kitchen on fire like a couple of weeks ago." He shut the door quietly, and the silence of the room seemed to engulf Hal in his own thoughts.

His friend was never one for talking about how he felt unless Hal insisted on an explanation for his behavior. And even then, he would only give out little detail about how he felt. Dave didn't like talking about the past- he felt as if it held him back from the future. So when he just babbled about he felt merely moments before he walked out of the house and shut the door, Hal had a right to be suspicious.

Dave was hiding something from him. And he was going to find out what it was all about… but first, he had to find something else.

There was a loud noise form the computer. Hal turned around, a stunned look unfurling on his features.

Impossible.

The cure for FoxDie? Was there really a match?

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**-rubs head- I dunno how long this is going to be, to be honest. Maybe it'll be ten chapters or so or more. I'm praying it's more than ten... and with a lot of stuff in those chapters and crap. Hey, SSS- was this enough for you, I hope? Reviews are loved... again.**

**Oh, and Liquid- bet you weren't expecting him, huh?**


	3. Destinations

**Yay! Not worried about anything with this- just the thought of pleasing you guys. –sighs-**

**Thanks for reviewing** Andi Mack, Jag Lady, Hordak's Pupil, MutantLover09, solid man, lily moonlight, FernClaw

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3. Destinations

With as much haste as he could muster, Hal quickly walked back over to the computer and furiously typed in some letters and numbers into the computer, heart racing. It couldn't be. After seven long months of searching for the cure, the awaited beep of a match had been heard. Swallowing and staring at the screen, he waited for several tense seconds until finally, an image popped up on the screen. It showed a vial with a small amount of liquid inside.

Hal leaned back in his chair, his head spinning. He'd done it. He had finally found the cure for FoxDie.

Without even thinking, Hal grabbed the cell phone next to the computer and dialed in a familiar number. There was silence on the other end for a couple of seconds before a female voice answered. "_Hello?"_

"Meryl!"

The voice on the other end of the line immediately went from irritable and tired to slightly cheerful. "_Otacon? I haven't heard from you in a couple of months! How've you been?"_

The engineer smiled genuinely for the first time in a long while. "I'm actually doing really well right now, to be honest. Been hanging around with Dave for a little while and trying to see if I can help him in the search for the FoxDie cure." He had a soft sigh on the other end of the phone but ignored it. "Listen, Meryl- I know you two broke up and everything last month, but you can still be friends!"

"_He hardly ever calls me,"_ she complained. _"That's why I broke up with him! You can't be in a relationship with a guy that never even tries to call you!"_

Hal rubbed his brow in exasperation. He didn't have time to work out Meryl's problems with men. Clearing his throat quickly and taking a deep breath, he interrupted, "Look, as much as I'd like to hear about your problems with Dave, I think I really need to tell you something important. It's the reason I called."

Meryl shut her mouth. Hal could feel waves of wanted complaining coming over the end of the line, but he didn't decide to press the matter. The good thing was, she shut up to listen to him. _"All right, fine. What do you want?"_

"I found a cure for FoxDie."

Silence.

_"Run that by me again."_

Hal's voice could barely contain the levels of excitement he wanted to gush forth. "Meryl, I found out the cure for FoxDie! Someone has it up for auction somewhere and is willing to sell it to someone for a lot of money!" He grimaced after this remark but kept a happy tone. "Although I have no idea how I'm going to have to go to try and find it, I'm totally trying to figure out where they're selling it!"

Meryl's voice sounded both stunned and relieved. "_The cure for FoxDie- how? How did you find it?"_

Hal grinned. "I have it set up on my computer for it to have a match to any sort of cure to FoxDie. Looks as if I finally hit the jackpot after some seven months of looking for the thing!" He grinned and clicked on some other things, scratching his head. "Anyways, I'm looking right now. There's something on here where you can find out the location of where the item could be. Like a tracker.

_"Why have a tracker on that thing?"_

Hal pursed his lips. "They might be a lot of people that want to get their hands on it. Why they would want to is beyond me, though. I mean, no one else in the world might want it unless they know about Dave's condition." He clicked on some other things, frowning and squinting at the screen. "You know, you could come up here to Alaska. It's a nice place."

Meryl laughed dryly. "_I'll stay in the warmth of Oregon for a little while longer, thanks."_

"Why the hell are you all the way up there? Why not stay in Washington for a bit?"

Silence again.

"Oh."

Meryl had found out a while back that Colonel Roy Campbell was her real father and that he hadn't died when she thought he did. It was a long and complicated story, so the shortened version of the whole thing was that Campbell had known about Meryl being his daughter for a while and just couldn't tell her in time before the FOXHOUND Rebellion. The idea of being Campbell's daughter was a bit much for her to bear at the time. They hadn't spoken since the revelation.

Hal allowed the moment to pass before speaking again. "I got a question, Meryl."

_"Shoot,"_ she replied quietly.

He bit his lip. "Do you mind coming up here to Alaska and helping me with something? We have a problem up here."

Meryl sounded confused. _"Problem? What do you mean?"_

"I mean as in… we might need your help for this." Hal's eyes stared at the screen in shock. His hand never moved from the mouse. "For getting the FoxDie cure. It's… it's…"

_"It's what, Hal?"_

His voice sounded faint. "It's on Shadow Moses Island."

* * *

There was another sound of whining heard through the woods. Dave sighed and petted Aero once more as they continued their trek through the area. She seemed to be whining a bit more than usual. He was kind of bothered about it, to be honest, but he continued walking through the woods with a quiet and thoughtful demeanor.

There was a gunshot. He whirled around and gritted his teeth, but no one was there. In fact, there was no evidence of anyone being in the woods. He let out a sigh and continued with the husky at his heels. He was hearing things again.

It wasn't the first time Dave had heard Shadow Moses in his ears, either. The sounds of gunfire from the ice field rang in his ears as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and glanced down at the snow once more. Not a drop of adrenaline spiked through his system as he recalled the battle with Sniper Wolf before the elevator. It seemed like only a couple of days ago, but Dave knew it had been a few weeks since he had picked up a gun.

He rubbed his head in exasperation and sat down under a tree, Aero nuzzling him. "I know, I know," he muttered, scratching her from behind the ears. "It's hard to believe I found you a couple of months ago, Aero. When was it… April?" The husky gave a small bark in response, as if understanding him. "That seems right. You came up to my doorstep in need of a home, and I gave you one." He gave a small smile. "Kind of like a distraction, I guess."

The talking couldn't ring out the gunshots in his mind, unfortunately. The sounds of wind and bullets filled his head again as he closed his eyes and continued petting her fur. A gust of wind came forth again, and he could hear Sniper Wolf's dying words as he imagined the SOCOM being pointed at her chest. Her words echoed across the plains as he sat there. _"Okay, hero…_

_"Set me free…"_

The gunshot was heard.

She breathed no more.

Dave's eyes opened, and he looked down at the husky. The dog had a sad sort of look in its eyes as it laid its head down next to his body. "It's weird," he muttered quietly. "But I thought the memories would go away as time really did pass. But ever since I've been taken care of you, Aero… the memories just keeping slamming into me. I don't think PTSD is supposed to affect me this much."

Aero gave another soft whine.

"You're right. Let's go back."

Dave stood up and glanced at the house in the distance. He'd get memories even out here in the woods. Quietly, he walked back with Aero and rubbed his forehead, which was covered by a navy blue bandana. _'Why now?'_ he thought. _'Why are they all coming back to me now?'_

Aero ran up ahead to greet her playmates while Dave walked back into the house. Hal seemed to be talking on the phone with someone, but he couldn't catch any parts of the conversation. Sighing, he shut the door behind him and shrugged off his coat, walking back into the kitchen for a moment and glancing down at the peaches he had opened nearly half an hour ago.

He took the can and dug around in a drawer for a spoon. _'At least I can enjoy my food without thinking about those rations from the island,'_ he thought, grinning slightly to himself.

* * *

**FUN. So now we know a few things- the cure has been found, it's apparently on Shadow Moses Island, Aero and Snake are practically best buds, and Snake likes peaches. The last one doesn't matter. XD The other three will come into play, though. Is anyone noticing anything fishy going on here yet? If you are, do tell me. –glares at **FernClaw-** But not you.**


	4. Relationships

**I'm in my happy place- a fandom with no worries and some people who are enjoying and kind of understanding this. All is well with the world. **

**I just realized this chappie is filler. And filler sucks. –fumes-**

**Thanks for reviewing** Andi Mack, MutantLover09, lily moonlight, Hordak's Pupil, Jag Lady, FernClaw

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4. Relationships

Night was falling, and Dave was inside, finishing the vegetable stew and putting the pot on the table. Hal looked inside the pot and grimaced. "Again? How often are we going to have this? It looks so… nasty and disgusting."

The antihero gave his friend a nasty look, shushing him up instantly. It wasn't often that the engineer would end up dong dinner for the twosome, so he really didn't have much of a reason to complain. More often than not, Dave would end up whipping something up and lay it on the table in front of Hal. Needless to say, Dave wanted to complain about his own cooking as well, but he knew that if he did that, his friend would offer to cook.

And that was the last thing he needed.

The calming Chinese music in the background didn't seem to bother Dave that night as he sat at the table and stared at the stew on the table. "You know, you're going to have to try your hand at making dinner one of these nights. I'm tired of laboring over a hot stove."

"Funny."

Silence once more. Dave put down his fork and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. Hal knew this was going to end up as a conversation about something he A.) didn't like or want to talk about or B.) didn't want to hear about. Either way, he didn't want to get into yet another conversation with Dave with the posture he sat in at that moment. Hal rubbed his head at Dave's stare and gave him a mild glare in return. "Okay, what do you want to argue about profusely this time?"

Dave shook his head, giving a slight laugh. "I just thought it was funny you were talking to Meryl on the phone when I got back inside. Yes, I heard you on the phone," he added when he saw Hal's mouth drop open like a sinkhole opening. "It's hard not to notice when you look like a some sort of rabid fan of an anime."

The engineer blushed furiously. "We weren't phone flirting!"

The other man said nothing. He merely let out a small sigh and shook his head at Hal. He didn't know whether he was lying or telling the truth, but it made no difference now. The fact of the matter was, the two of them had been on the phone together for a little bit while he had been walking Aero. Dave raised an eyebrow at his companion and nodded. "Fine. Deny the phone flirting all you want, but I want to know something. Why'd you call her in the first place?"

Hal rubbed his fingers through his hair and looked lost for an answer for a moment. "Well, uh… I needed to tell her about some things. Things I don't think I should tell you right now."

"Feel like hiding something from me like everybody else?" he asked wearily. He had given up on the fact that people were going to tell him important things in his life. It was customary- in his mind- to keep things that were vital to his own well being from him. Dave watched Hal's face unfurl into one of surprise and slight fear. "Listen, everyone else does it when I'm on missions. Damn, Hal- just say it already."

The engineer put his head in his hand. "I just… look, Dave. I don't know if this is a good time to say it! Meryl told me not to tell you!"

Dave snorted derisively. "So you're taking orders from another woman?"

"No!"

Silence.

"Maybe…"

Dave rolled his eyes in exasperation, giving Hal a hard glare. He wanted to hear all of this. "Look, you may as well spill what happened. I know it was about Meryl and stuff, but come on, Hal. There's no point in hiding it."

Hal sighed. "You're right. You really wanna know? Fine. I talked with Meryl this afternoon after something came up on the Internet, and we babbled for a bit about possibilities of where the cure might be on the planet. We kind of…" He swallowed here, looking rather nervously at the table. "We kind of talked about your past relationship and how you two were together for a while."

The older man said nothing.

"What happened between you two?"

Dave grimaced. "I didn't want to get involved in her life. I didn't need to be involved. That last thing Meryl should have is her hero trying to involve himself in her life. Sure, we were together for a couple of months and all, but… it wasn't going to work." His voice got softer, more distant. "I thought I really did love her. But I think it was just some kind of… some kind of loving passion to be loved." He gave a soft sigh. "Kind of like how you felt when you loved Wolf for that while."

The other man turned away slightly. "Do you still love her?"

He heaved a sigh and got up from the table. "I don't know, Hal. I thought I didn't, but now everything else in my heart says otherwise. It feels like I'm in one of those stupid romantic movies or books where the guy ends up thinking about his love life and all that nasty crap." He looked disgusted. "What do you want me to say? I like her?"

Hal shrugged. "Just admit your feelings about her."

Dave picked up his dishes and ignored Aero's whining until he reached the sink and put his dishes inside it. He scratched his head in tired worry before crouching down and scratching her behind the ears. "I can't just admit my feelings, Hal. The problem in doing that is the fact that I show I have feelings about her. And you know I never tell anyone how I feel." He stood up and walked out into the living room, Aero obediently at his heels.

His friend said nothing. He scratched his head for a moment before eyeing the cell phone near the computer. _'Thank god for you, Meryl,'_ he thought. _'At least you still kind of care for him.'_

"Hey, Hal. Anything good on TV tonight?"

The man grimaced at walked out into the living room as well, sitting down at the desk and shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know. Why don't you check and see for yourself?"

Aero gave another soft whine. Dave scratched her ears, taking solace in his furry companion.

* * *

**Jeez, how many times are we going to see this dog? I'd love to tell you what is going on, but yeah. Some of you already know. If you know and you say it, I will stab you repeatedly with a spork… or my scythe. –pulls out scythe- WATCH IT, SOME OF YOU.**


	5. Feelings

**I BLAME FFN for last chapter. It hates my guts.**

**And I thank those for their reviews:** MutantLover09, Hordak's Pupil, FernClaw, Jag Lady

**For **Andi Mack: **My source of MGS inspiration and one of my biggest MGS fans.**

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5. Feelings

He felt a wet tongue lick his body once more, and Dave groaned, trying to swat away the faithful animal that kept on track with its waking duties. He placed a pillow over his head and tried to blot out last night's dream. The dying breaths she took were more than enough to practically scare the hell out of him, for lack of a better thought. He had woken up in the middle of the night as well, sweating up a storm unlike anything he had ever done before. Dave _never_ sweated.

Aero whined and licked his hand again. Dave was tempted to swat away the husky with the pillow, but he settled for merely looking over at where the young dog was. "Good morning to you, too," he managed to mumble and yawn. "I suppose you have something you wanna say to me, right?"

"DAVE!"

Hal's voice sounded happier than the last time he was watching anime porn on YouTube a couple of days ago. Dave almost wished that it didn't have that sparkle, but he sensed it was for another reason entirely. The older male finally rolled off his bed slightly and gave Aero a small smile before standing up and stretching. He retied his bandana around his head as he exited the room, his companion at his heels. His voice was weary. "What is it, Hal?"

He sounded triumphant. "I've done it! I've really done it! I found it!"

The other man's face twisted into a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

"I found the cure to FoxDie!"

It was like an electric charge ran straight through his body, but it was in the best way possible. Dave seemed to have an easier time breathing suddenly, closing his eyes and allowing a smile to unfurl on his lips. A dream becoming reality for Hal and himself- was this really what he had been waiting for? He felt Aero nuzzle him once more and couldn't hold up from scratching the husky's ears as he trekked out of the room.

Hal looked to be in the clouds as he clicked and typed and grinned with the biggest smile he could muster. Dave knew he had been waiting for this moment for a good couple of months, and it brought him a warm feeling to know that his companion was happy and excited about finding something that would help his friend in any way possible. Frankly, Dave was kind of happy as well. He couldn't believe it.

Maybe he'd finally be cured of his problem of aging and disease.

Dave leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms, smiling. "I bet you're happy."

"I thought you'd be happy."

Something in Hal's quiet tone seemed to smack Dave across the face. The older man cast a curious, angered look over at his companion. "You don't think I'm happy that you found the cure for FoxDie? Hal, I never would have thought it was possible. I thought it wouldn't be found or someone else had taken it. I guess something just threw me off with that idea…" He scratched his head and walked towards the computer. "Do you have any idea where it is?"

Hal sighed and said nothing to this comment.

Dave's stomach churned. "I don't like that sigh."

"I know you don't. And I know you won't like the location of where it could be possibly located." Hal typed in some more things and waited as Dave walked out into the kitchen to get Aero some breakfast. "You've got some memories of it from the past that I know you're not real fond of. Closets, water, and blood…"

The mercenary looked down at the bowl of dog food for the husky and said nothing, but his mind was already screaming ideas. _'OTACON… LIQUID… DEATH…'_ they told him tauntingly. Dave gave the dog food a sort of sour look before setting it down on front of Aero and scratching her ears once more. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, a rush of memories once more attacking him. He felt his stomach lurch suddenly. "Damn," he muttered, gripping the counter.

Hal's chair wheeled out of the room and gave Dave a worried look. "What is it?"

"Judging by the subliminal messaging you've been trying to give me, I'm guessing that the cure is somewhere back on Shadow Moses Island," Dave told his companion, his tone overcome with resignation. "And something tells me someone has to go there and get it- that would be me."

The engineer winced. "I didn't say that."

The older man rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You may as well say it flat out and tape a big sign to your forehead about it, Hal. It's plain as day in your eyes."

Hal gave Dave an apologetic look. "It is?"

"I wouldn't have said so if it wasn't the case, would I?"

Hal gave his friend an accusing look. "You were having another nightmare last night, weren't you?"

That threw the man for a loop. He tried to wipe out all traces of a possible confession from his face, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Hal had practically spat the truth back in his face, whether he liked it or not. Dave gave a scowl and uttered a low growl in his throat, earning a whine and a nuzzle from his husky companion. "And if I did? To hell with dreams, _Otacon._ They don't really do anything but cause pain."

The _otaku_ blinked. "What happened in your dream?"

There was no backing out now. "I dreamt Meryl died again." The man's voice grew softer as he completely untied his bandana it and removed it from his head. "It's odd. I didn't think I'd dream of her dying in front of me again like she nearly did on Shadow Moses. And now… now I have this dream that she gets shot, and I can't do a thing about it." Dave crossed his arms. "What's wrong with me, Hal? It's like… It's like I'm losing myself."

"It only seems like that. What if the dream means something?"

Dave's voice only got more intense, more frustrated. "Oh, please. What the hell could it mean? I could less than a crap about it right now, but it's annoying me to no end." He put a hand up to his forehead and gripped his hair in the front. "God, I don't know what to think right now."

Hal's voice sounded soft, gentle. "Well, I can give you one good piece of news."

Silence, expectancy.

"Meryl's coming to visit. She's on her way here right now."

Dave looked at his friend with a skeptical look in his eyes. "Why? Why would she come and visit us in the cold, barren, deserted forest of Alaska?"

"She wants to help in finding the cure!" Hal told him flatly. "Is that too much to ask?!"

The soldier heaved a sigh. "I don't want her getting involved in something that involves going back there. Who knows what'll happen to her in the way of PTSD?"

The engineer sounded stung. "She's going to be staying here at the house while you go on your little excursion! I didn't plan on her going with you, _Snake._ She's just an old flame, for Christ's sake- a human being! She's got feelings, too!"

Dave felt his stomach drop once more, scratching Aero from behind the ears. Hal was right. And here he was, being bitter about more help coming in to help find what he had so secretly longed for. His thoughts drifted off to another figure from his past, one who had died in the field of battle before his own eyes. He had watched the body disappear from the earth unlike anything ever witnessed before.

_"…I was taken from the battle, neither truly alive, nor truly dead; an undying shadow, in a world of lights…"_

Neither truly alive nor truly dead. Dave looked down at the floor, swallowing and shaking his head. "I… I dunno what to say right now."

Hal blinked. That was new.

It didn't take long for him to realize that Dave was in a world of hurt, though, as the older man walked out of the room and sat himself on the chair in the living room, Aero obediently trekking at his heels.

The news of Meryl not only provoked a reaction of unlikely proportion, but a feeling a doubt that Dave had not felt in twelve months.

* * *

**Eep. Something's going on. Sn-Dave is having some issues. Some bad, mental-tearing-apart issues. YES, I will be calling him Snake again in the fic. –is tired- Do me a favor and tell me your thoughts about this chapter. PLEASE.**


	6. Revelations

**The joys of knowing your work is actually kind of liked.**

**Thanks so much to **Andi Mack, MutantLover09, FernClaw, AngelSnake, lily moonlight, The Shadow Syndicate

* * *

6. Revelations

He sighed, trying not to fall asleep. Hal was making lunch, even though it was now two in the afternoon. His eyes closed slightly, but he shook himself awake and sat in the chair, glancing over at the television remote and moaning slightly. Waiting did nothing good for him. It always made him feel like he was waiting for either death to come or something worse. Not that Dave could tell what the difference was between death and something worse, to be honest. He'd seen the stupid figure more times than he could count. He sniffled.

Caught a damn cold. He hated Alaska sometimes.

Hal's voice sounded muffled. "Hey, lunch is ready."

"Something tells me you nearly burned down the kitchen again," Dave tried to tease his friend as he got up from his chair and walked out into the kitchen, furrowing his brow. "Is it really that hard for you to cook a meal?"

The engineer sounded amused. "It's better than the stew you made last night."

The former agent made a noise in his throat and looked at the attempt of a grilled cheese on his plate, leaning back and smirking. "Huh. I'll give you an 'A' for effort. Maybe I'll go into the fridge and see what we've got. I mean, honestly. That seriously looks unappetizing." Dave wrinkled his nose. "No offense." He got up from the table and stopped.

Hal frowned. "Dave?"

"You hear that?" he muttered, his ears seemingly pricking. "Do you hear that sound, Hal?" His body turned to the door, hands clenching up. "Someone's coming." He moved swiftly into the living room, going into the drawer next to the couch in the room. His hand reached inside and grabbed a nine-millimeter handgun. He checked to see if it had a full magazine and took a deep breath.

His friend looked alarmed. "Wait a second!"

Dave blocked out any and all noise except for the lone sound of feet outside of the house. His heart was pounding as he moved towards the door and gripped the handle. _'You'll be fine,'_ he thought sternly. _'It's just a noise. Maybe someone you know… but you can't be too careful. You can never really trust yourself.'_

And with this, he flung the door open and pointed the weapon right in the person's face.

"You bastard!" the voice of a familiar woman yelled in his ears.

The male blinked and shook his head. A redhead stood in the doorway and looked stunned at the weapon shoved in her face. Her red hair was down to her shoulders now, wearing what he had last seen her in- green army pants, orange snow vest, black hand gloves. She crossed her arms and shook her head. "If you don't want my help, you can just say so. But let me tell you that I spent two hours on a helicopter getting my butt to this freezing place!"

Dave just stood there, lowering the weapon and staring at his ex-flame. Meryl Silverburgh gave Dave a piercing glare as she stood on his doorstep, her hands crossed over her chest. He finally moved out of her way and allowed her inside the house, where she stalked in and whirled around. "It's been a while," she told him stiffly.

He finally found his voice, choked with surprise. "Uh, yeah… it has been."

Hal just stared at the scene in front of him, holding his head with one hand and closing his eyes. This wasn't gong to be fun to listen to.

"You didn't call me _once,"_ the woman snarled.

Dave put the weapon on the table and rolled his eyes. "I'm supposed to be someone who is alone for most of his life. Relationships always turn sour for old soldiers. But you wouldn't know that- you haven't been called out of retirement god knows how many times in your life."

Meryl sat herself down on the couch and looked ticked. "Oh, so that's the only reason?!"

"I'm not the one being an ass!" he growled through clenched teeth. "And I could give less than a shit of what you thought right now!"

Silence. Dave had never sworn in two sentences back to back. The man was breathing heavily through his mouth, in time with the beating of Meryl's heart. He looked down at the ground with a sideways turn of his head and shook his head, feeling pain and shame rising in his chest. Never once had he talked to anyone like that unless he was extremely pissed off. He hadn't felt angrier in all his time out in the Alaskan wilderness until this moment. Hal coughed a little, trying to ease the tension. No good.

Finally, Meryl gave a soft sigh and sagged into the cushions. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

The older man said nothing, merely standing there and feeling the silence in the room weigh on his shoulders. He'd blunder in speaking probably for the hundredth time in his life. It wasn't a mistake though- it was on purpose. He had meant to do it.

"Snake… in China, they say '_How can you put out a fire set on a cart-load of firewood with only a cup of water?'_" a gentle voice spoke from behind. It had a slight Chinese accent to it. It wasn't very distinguishable, but you could tell that it was there.

Dave turned around in surprise. A young woman stood there, her hair slightly up, dressed in typical military uniform. She was petite, almost looking like on of the characters from Hal's animes. She cocked her head, her voice soft and serene. "It means that it is useless to apply minor remedies to a major problem. Your thing with Meryl isn't working out by just talking about how you both feel right now. You need to speak about it more in-depth."

He shook his head in amazement. "Mei Ling…"

Hal gave a huge grin moments later. "Mei Ling! Oh, my god, what are you doing here?"

"Meryl told me about what was going on and that you were searching for the FoxDie cure. I thought I might lend my hand and be of assistance to you guys." She gave a very small giggle, trying to keep it subtle. "Maybe you'll need some more aid since Dave is being such a grouchy person right now. And besides, I needed to get away from the city."

Dave gave an attempt at a half-smile. "Is that right?"

Mei Ling turned to Hal, her voice now serious. "So, Meryl told me you did end up finding it. Where's the cure?"

Hal looked worried for a moment. "Shadow Moses Island."

She blinked, her mouth dropping in a state of shock. "Are you kidding?"

"I wish he was," Meryl muttered bitterly. "But he usually gives the truth about these sorts of things. And something tells me that this is either an extremely sick coincidence, or someone wants to try and mess with us. I'm really hoping that it's the first one right now, but it just… something's just not right here."

Mei Ling winced and nodded. "So, at least it's a place we all know about. You know what I mean?"

Hal grinned. "That's Mei Ling for you- always the optimistic one!"

Dave didn't reply, merely sitting on the chair and watching Aero walk over to him. The husky faithfully sat next to him and set his head on his leg, giving the man a weird stare. No one seemed to notice, though, as the small group began chatter amongst themselves for what they hoped would happen if in fact they did find the virus there. Hal began rambling off possible locations, while Mei Ling and Meryl listened to him, nodding every so often and interjecting.

The old soldier just sighed and stroked Aero's head. "I hope this all works out in the end," he mumbled. "Otherwise, they'll have not only an unhappy man to see, but probably one in a body bag as well."

She gave a small dog-like giggle and nuzzled her owner's leg in response. Dave smiled.

* * *

**Ugh. Sorry. I was pissed today for a while. Long story. Short chapter. Feel free to smack me with a bat and review. **


	7. Dreams

**Oh. Sorry about the wait there...**

**Thanks for the reviews** FernClaw, Jag Lady, Dragonchild, lily moonlight, MutantLover09, Hordak's Pupil, cardboredbox

* * *

7. Dreams

_He failed. There were no other words to describe this catastrophe. There was no cure to FoxDie. His head met his hand in shock as he watched his friend convulse on the ground, clutching his stomach in pain. "Damnit, Otacon," he whispered frantically. "We've been had. No cure… it was an accelerant! Now I'm dying faster!"_

_He had nothing to say. All he could do was watch in helpless horror as his best friend slowly began to process of death before his eyes. "It's my fault," he muttered to himself, turning away from the computer and trying so desperately to ignore the continuous moans from his friend on the island. He knew he would have to live with it for the rest of his life if he didn't do something._

_And he knew he couldn't do anything._

_Otacon had pretty much unknowing led Snake into a trap. He couldn't help but feel disgust and shame for what he had done right then. Meryl stared at the screen blankly, covering her mouth in horror and fear. She turned away from the sight of her former flame dying on Shadow Moses, shaking her head. Her voice was soft with sad anger._

_"You tricked us, Otacon."_

_He leaned on the table, shaking his head. His voice was soft as well- soft with despair. _

_"No… I didn't know… it's not my fault, Meryl…" His voice was choked, full of betrayal. "It's not my fault, Meryl!"_

_But his words meant nothing. Snake's moans seemed to fade with time. And soon, there was not a sound but the wind blowing through the Codec. Otacon felt hot tears fall down his face. "What did I do? Why? Why us…?"_

. . .

He shot out of bed, his hand gripping his chest. His heartbeat was erratic, breathing completely out of sync. Hal took a couple of deep breaths and leaned back gently on the bed, sweating profusely. He took his hand away from his chest and sprawled himself out on the bed in the guest room, shaking his head in disbelief. It was crazy, to say the least. Hal didn't know if he was supposed to do after a nightmare like that.

He didn't want to wake up Dave for fear of both getting yelled at _and_ waking him up right before probably one of the most important days of his life. He gave a long yawn and rolled onto this stomach, burying his face into the pillow. He had never had nightmares like that before- ones of his friend dying. It was a thought that just seemed too unbearable. His breathing slowed slightly, finally coming back to its normal pace.

Hal shook his head into the pillow and closed his eyes once more, trying not to think about what had just occurred. He shut his eyes and nestled into the pillow, unaware of the tossing and turning occurring in the other rooms…

* * *

_"You gotta get out of here!" he told her frantically, gesturing her to the back door. "If they find out what you did, you'll be arrested and maybe even executed. Mei Ling, get out of here!" _

_The woman's feet didn't move. It was like time had stopped for her. She shook her head, hearing the banging on the front door. "I can't," she whispered, shaking her head with depressed sadness. "Snake, I can't- I can't just leave you in the state you're in! I don't want to! You're just… you're one of those people who need someone to love them. Someone who can take care of you!"_

_The ex-mercenary reached out to her, but she pulled away in shock and pain. "__**No.**__ Snake, I wanna stay here!"_

_"Mei Ling, you can't! I won't let you! You've got to get out of here!"_

_Banging on the door again._

_"Don't make me grab you!"_

_She shook her head, backing away towards the door. "No! Please, Snake… I want to help you! It's not fair! Why should you suffer when I'm busy trying to help you? Really, I want you to have a better life! I can help you!" Mei Ling's eyes shined with tears. "Damn it, can't you accept anyone's help **besides** Otacon?!"_

_Snake looked pained. "I don't want you arrested, Mei Ling! **Please**!"_

_One more bang. "Solid Snake, you are holding a criminal against the United States in your house! Open this door **NOW.**"_

_Mei Ling glanced at him in terror. He reached for her. "Mei Ling! Come on!"_

_"Solid Snake…!"_

_She reached for his hand._

_"Boys, break it down!"_

_His eyes widened. "Mei Ling!"_

_She stared straight ahead, reaching…_

_The door broke down. Black ops rushed inside. All she heard was yells of "armed and dangerous" and "deadly weapon." All she thought about was the man in front of her, shaking his head and screaming her name…_

. . .

The sweat drenched her pillow as her eyes shot open, staring into the night. "_Shen shang pi hua__!"_ she whispered.

Mei Ling sat up slowly, feeling her black hair lightly touch her backside. She shook her head in distress, swallowing and continuing to look at the blackness of night. "What the hell was that?" she muttered, feeling a small burst of adrenaline run through her body.

She knew what it was. She had known for some time now. It had been haunting her since Shadow Moses. The thought of the government finding out that she had helped in destroying nuclear weapons- she knew it would be bad for her and her family. In the beginning, she didn't know what she wanted to do. Her dreams for America had been all over the place until a couple of years ago when she finally discovered about what she wanted.

Mei Ling wanted to help people. And she wanted to do that in the ways of the military.

Quietly, she wrapped her blanket around her body and took a low, deep breath. The woman felt the muscles in her body that were tense slowly become relaxed. She glanced outside and squinted, trying to make out the gently falling flakes that covered the ground. Never would she have thought that it could snow in October in Alaska.

Then again, there were a lot of things Mei Ling didn't know. Like the dream occurring in the living room…

* * *

_The first thing she saw was a body._

_The next thing she saw were his eyes shut. He would have looked so peaceful, had he not been in a mess on the ground in front of her. Arms sprawled, legs twisted in strange directions- it was the most disgusting sight she had seen since shooting someone on the island so many years ago. _

_Her head turned away from the sight, tears flowing freely. What had he done to deserve this sort of fate? Could she have changed the past to make this not happen? She fell to her knees next to his body, feeling disgust well up inside of her. Stupid FoxDie… Why did it always have to get in the way of everything? They had been going on for so long now! Tomorrow would have been three years together._

_She couldn't help but notice the huskies gather near his body, all of them giving soft whines. One of them nuzzled her gently, and she shook her head, scratching it behind the ears. "What happened?" she mumbled. "Why him?"_

_The gunshot wound to the chest had been placed nearly in the same spots as where Sniper Wolf had shot her. She bitterly recalled this and placed a hand on his chest, staring down at his peaceful face. "You bastard," she whispered. "Why did you have to die...?"_

. . .

The dream replayed in her mind over and over and over again. Her hands were behind her head as she glared upwards, looking at nothing in particular. What was wrong? Did this dream have any meaning? And why the hell had they been together for three years in it? Meryl rolled on her side and closed her eyes, trying to fall back asleep. She knew she couldn't, though. That was virtually impossible.

The fear of possibly seeing a dead Snake in her dreams again scared Meryl. And the fact that tomorrow was probably going to change everyone's lives didn't seem to help matters. The thought of perhaps going with Dave to Shadow Moses tickled the back of her mind for a moment before she figuratively swatted it away brusquely. She knew he wouldn't let her go on this mission.

He would have to do it alone.

Of course, he would have the Codec with him and could be in contact with Hal, Mei Ling, and herself. But why the hell would he need to use it? After all, he wasn't infiltrating a top-secret compound to destroy Metal Gear. No, this time he was going to grab a cure for his sickness that had plagued him for the longest time.

And to think she had been in a relationship with him before. Meryl shook her head on her pillow.

What next…? What did the spirits above have planned for her and the one who used to be a FOXHOUND member himself?

* * *

_No… it couldn't be…_

_"Mmm. How does it feel to know you're __**wrong,**__ brother?"_

_Try as he might, he couldn't reach around to grab Liquid in any sort of position. The blonde had grabbed his bandana and was pulling back as hard as he could. It almost felt like they were just eleven-year-olds fighting over who got to play the Wii next. Right now, though, it was so much more than an argument over a game system. It was a fight of life and death._

_"Son of a_ **_bitch_****_."_**

_Liquid clucked his tongue in annoyance. "Come on. Is that any way to treat your sibling? I thought you'd be happy to see me alive again. Do you hate me that much?"_

_He struggled against the pull, his eyes tearing up in fury. A fist was driven into his back, the sound of laughter ringing in his ears. No- he couldn't lose. Not after everything that had already happened to him! No. There was no way… _

_"He's got a point."_

_His ears perked up in astonishment. His eyes moved towards the source of the voice, only to see Aero standing there, not moving. She was giving him a plaintive gaze and whining in her usual manner. He tried to wrench away from Liquid and failed, resulting in only a harder pullback on his bandana. He screamed out, receiving another punch to the back and listening to Aero beginning to give another dog-like giggle._

_"It'll be done soon, Master," she barked._

_All he could do was blindly think, _'What does that mean…?'

. . .

The red digits on the clock now read 1:37. Dave's hand was on his forehead, exposed to the cold air with no bandana on tonight. That nightmare… it had meant something so mysterious, and yet something so magical. Maybe magical wasn't the right word, but there wasn't any other way of putting it. He sat up and sighed, keeping his hand on his head and now leaning on his elbow. This was just- this was becoming too crazy.

How could Aero have spoken in a dream?

He gently swung his legs over the bed and stood up, hearing the floorboards creak. Wincing, he walked out into the living room where Meryl appeared to be asleep and quietly walked to the door. After grabbing a robe from the chair, he opened it and walked outside, wrapping the robe around his body tightly. He closed the door and stood on the front porch, allowing the cool night air to wash over his covered self.

The door opened up behind him. Dave turned around and found himself face-to-face with a sleepy-eyed Meryl. She shivered and blinked. "What are you doing up?" she asked, trying and failing to stifle a yawn.

"Couldn't sleep," he replied, trying to shrug it off as if it was nothing. "You?"

"Nightmare," she said as nonchalantly as possible.

Dave frowned. "You going to be okay?"

She nodded. The tension between them was still present from the day's previous events. Quietly, the woman stepped into the doorway and slipped her hand into her ex-flame's. Her voice was quiet. "Come on. We have a big day tomorrow. Or _you_ have a big day tomorrow, depending on how you look at it."

He gave her as best a smile as he could, being led inside by her and shutting the door behind them. Dave knew she had spoken a greater truth than thought possible- indeed, the next day would change everyone's lives forever.

The only question remained was…

What was with the dream he had? Or the ones that everyone else had seen, for that matter?

* * *

**Mei Ling swore in Chinese. "_Shen shang pi hua__!" _is "Holy shit!" in her native language. Mmm. The mystery grows deeper, and so will the drama. Sorry about the late update. Seriously. -goes to corner to write more-**


	8. Travels

**Wow. Sorry about the update lack. I think I'm back on track now.**

**Thanks for those awesome reviews** FernClaw, Jag Lady, Hordak's Pupil, lily moonlight, The Python, Andi Mack, MutantLover09, badkidoh

* * *

8. Travels

"All computers are set up?" Mei Ling questioned, finally plugging in the cord into the outlet and yawning. She rubbed her eyes and gave a glance out Hal, who looked to be running on a cup of coffee and possibly a Pop-Tart. The rest of the house of silent at five thirty AM, but that didn't mean that no one else was up. Meryl and Dave were moving about a separate part of the house, and both people in the technology room knew it had nothing to do with sex.

Hal nodded the OK to the Asian and turned on the computer, hoping for some sort of quick load-up process. It had been a while since he had plugged in the computer that Mei Ling was going to be using. And now, here he was- about to use it for the first time in over a year. Dave had some of the "crappiest technology one could ask for in the twenty-first century," as Hal so eloquently put it. He sighed and walked over to Mei Ling, who was plugging a set of headphones into the computer jack on the already-loaded computer.

"Any idea when Dave'll be in here?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure."

The tension in the room was clear, as both people's minds flashed back to the dreams they had only a few hours ago. It almost seemed too real that the group was actually going to help their friend not only find the cure, but go back to the island of his nightmares. The _otaku_ and the technology specialist gave each other meaningful glances before hearing Meryl clomping in and looking exhausted.

"You okay?" Hal asked.

The redheaded woman gave her friend a look. He turned away and shook his head, muttering an apology and walking into the kitchen with Aero at his heels. She whined slightly, and he found himself walking to the back door and opening it for her. Eagerly, she trotted out and ran to the helicopter in the distance. Hal made no attempt at stopping her from her run, and he shut the door and turned back to the house. He shook his head and walked to the cabinet, opening it and looking inside.

"There's gotta be some ibuprofen in here," he muttered.

Mei Ling came from around the corner. She blinked. "What are you doing?"

"I have a headache. Need some meds."

She rubbed her head. "Listen, Hal. I know you're worried. I'm pretty sure all of us are. But it's during these sorts of trials that we must bond and show the world that we can overcome anything." She slipped her hand into his. "It'll be okay. We just need to work together."

Meryl gave a tiny grumble and sat down on the sofa. Mei Ling led Hal into the other room, his hand still gripping the ibuprofen bottle. She sat him down in the chair, and he slipped on the headset. She walked to her own computer and typed in a couple of things, bringing up a screen of a layout from Shadow Moses Island. She had no idea how helpful it would be, but she figured it was best to know where Dave was at all times.

There was a creaking of wood outside the room once more, and the trio turned around to see a familiar sight. It was one Hal smiled at, seeing the image of his hero standing in the doorway. One Mei Ling blushed at, turning away and giving a small giggle because of the crush she had on him merely a year ago. One Meryl remembered so fondly from the time she worked with him on the island- the one that she had rescued from after a one-on-one fight with his brother.

Solid Snake stood in the doorway in full form. His Sneaking Suit still fit as if he had worn it only yesterday, the bandana around his head drooped and slightly slapping his back. He wore one belt around his waist for holstering his .45 SOCOM handgun, standard military issue. His eyes showed weariness beyond his years, but somehow, he kept his revitalized image. It almost seemed like he was ready for another mission he had been ever so willingly dragged into. This time was an exception, though.

He was ready for this mission. He was ready to do what he had to in order to find what he desired- a cure to stop a virus.

Hal pushed up his glasses and gave a smile of what he thought was confidence, relief, and determination. "You ready for this, _Snake?"_

The operative returned the smile. "_You_ the one ready for this, Otacon?"

Same old, same old. Otacon felt he could take the world.

* * *

Meryl gave Snake his SOCOM and swallowed as he walked out to the helicopter waiting for him. "Y-you know… I could just- well, you know."

"I need to do this alone, Meryl," Snake told her calmly. Even as he spoke, a fierce fire glowed in his eyes, resonating from his very core. "You need to stay here with Otacon and Mei Ling and help me along the way as best as you can from here at the house."

She looked frustrated, and the man was given a fond memory of the first time she looked at him on Shadow Moses. "I won't get in the way! Promise."

He grabbed her hand and stared straight into her eyes. She flinched and tried to look away from Snake's eyes, but she knew she couldn't. His voice was quiet. "Meryl. There is nothing you can do to help me on the island. It isn't infested with guards, being run by FOXHOUND, or full of dark secrets hidden from me in the past. As much as I'd enjoy catching up with you, I don't think right now is the time." He forced his voice to stay steady. "I need you to be my look-out, my aid. My eyes, my ears, everything." He paused for a moment. "I also need you to keep the huskies company."

"I'm not a dog sitter!" she hissed, yanking her hand away.

Snake smiled. "Nope. You're a feisty solider who's seen hell and back. And don't think of it as dog sitting. Think of it as company for the animals that need someone to look to for help while the master is gone."

Meryl said nothing for several seconds. The old hero got into the helicopter and blinked at the sight of Aero sitting obediently in the seat across from him. She whined slightly and laid her head on his legs, earning herself a scratch behind the ears. Snake looked out and saw Meryl standing there still, looking away towards the house.

He sighed. "I have the Codec. Call me if you need something."

She just nodded, waving to the pilot of the chopper.

Nastasha Romanenko grinned from the pilot's seat. "Solid Snake. It's been a while."

Snake blinked in astonishment as he closed the compartment door and gave a shocked smile. "Nastasha! I didn't know you were a pilot!"

"Some things in life are best left unknown until the right time," she replied smoothly, her voice thick with a Ukrainian accent. "I guess right now is when you should know that I do have a license. Not that I would ever use it, but…" She trailed off here before regaining her composure. "So, how is life in Alaska? We do have nearly an hour together."

Snake leaned back in his seat, Aero's head resting in his lap. He had time for maybe one short story with his former weapons analyst specialist.

* * *

**Awww, Aero's going with Snake! Nice to have a little company. Right? :smirks: Reviews are nice. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Haunts

**More yummy MGS. With a heaping lot of angst. Oooh, you all are going to KILL me for this one! -.-**

**Thanks for your kind reviews** badkidoh, Andi Mack, lily moonlight, FernClaw, SolidSakesShadow, MutantLover09, Solid Snake's Soldier, Sons of Ocelot

* * *

9. Haunts

Gently, Nastasha landed the helicopter on the ground, glancing back at Snake and grinning. "Mmm. Pretty good flying, right?"

"I'm impressed," he admitted modestly, opening the door and allowing Aero to jump out and run towards the front entrance. "You've got some skills, Nastasha. You should've been flying airplanes and being in the Air Force a few years back. Where were you then?"

She gave a dry laugh and watched the soldier jump out of it with his gun in one hand and his other hand gripping the railing to get out of the helicopter. "I was busy in Ukraine helping other civilians. Then I came here to give you a hand on your mission, Snake. I didn't have time for the Air Force. I had other things to do, like help you stop the rogue FOXHOUND agents in 2005."

He said nothing for a couple of moments before finally just nodding and smiling at the woman. "Yeah," was all he could manage.

The woman took a cigarette out of her pack on the seat next to her and lit one up, touching it to her lips. She glanced at the man staring at the pack enviously and sighed, throwing him the entire pack of cigs. "You are impossible, but maybe that is what attracts me to you in a friendly manner." Nastasha waved her hand. "Anyways, Otacon told me to tell you that the virus should be up front. You know, right near the entrance to the facility."

Snake nodded and glanced at the huge door in front, swallowing and lighting up a cigarette. His Codec rang impatiently, and he gave an internal moan, answering and seeing Otacon's face appear on the screen. He looked worried_. "Snake, you shouldn't be smoking at a time like this! You know those can be bad for you!"_

"Gives me a little bit of relief here, Otacon," he replied flippantly, placing them in his side pocket and taking out his SOCOM. "Cut me some slack. We still don't know if this is a set-up or not." He moved towards the door, aware that the helicopter's engine had been killed and that he couldn't find Aero at his side. Shrugging this thought aside, Snake glanced around for anything that looked to be out of the ordinary.

Nothing.

"Crap…"

Snake looked around once more, shaking his head and coughing slightly. Looked as if his smoking days were starting to catch up with him. But right now, that was the least of his problems. He looked at his Codec once more and gave a short growl. "Otacon. You said it was at the front entrance to the base. I don't see it anywhere."

His friend's voice sounded worried as it came into his ears. _"Well, you checked everywhere? I mean your eyesight hasn't really been…"_

Snake clenched his fists. "This isn't the time to be discussing my trip to the eye doctor's office. I'm telling you- I searched the whole pace left and right, and I haven't found the cure. Anywhere. I even dug around in the _snow,_ for crying out loud."

_"And you're sure you can't find it?"_

Snake was ready to hit the wall with his fist. "I just said no!"

Otacon seemed to lean back in his chair. _"That's just weird. My informative told me it should be right out there. Maybe you have to go inside and find it."_

The soldier leaned up against the metal wall, his ears ringing. He couldn't believe this. He had to go _back_ inside the Shadow Moses facility itself and find the FoxDie cure? That was like leaving hell for a while and coming back to visit for a few hours. Snake finally just slammed the side of the building with a gloved hand and glared at the large building. "Great. I didn't need to hear those words…"

He took a deep breath and looked at the large gaping door in front of him. He was pretty sure that no one was inside to open the thing, but that didn't really matter. He looked at the keypad and sighed, placing his weapon back in the holster and looking back at the Codec screen. "You think you can open the door?"

As if on cue, there was a loud screeching sound. Slowly, the large metal door began to rise up, and Snake couldn't help but feel slightly worried for a moment. Too much of a coincidence in the spur of the moment. It was almost as if he had said some magic words to open the door… or someone was waiting for him. But who the hell was waiting for him on Shadow Moses?

What if he was walking into a trap?

Snake stood there for a couple more seconds before finally walking into the large structure and hearing the doors begin to shut behind him. He turned around and watched the gaping hole to the outside world close._ 'Well, there goes my easy way out,'_ he thought as he walked inside a bit farther.

He stopped.

Closing his eyes, Snake tried to blot out any extraneous noises that could have prevented him from doing his job. But he couldn't do it. He couldn't blot out one thing in his mind. One thing that haunted him.

A voice.

_'I'm YOU!'_

No. Not again…

_'I'm you're shadow!'_

Snake gripped his head. The voice… the voice from so long ago. The voice of the man that he thought he killed only a year ago. _'Why?'_ he thought, shaking his head. _'Why?'_

The voice laughed.

And once more, there was silence.

Otacon looked at Snake, worry unfurling on his features once more. "_Snake? You looked to be having some sort of seizure or a dream- only it was with your eyes open. What happened?"_

"I'm stuck inside Shadow Moses with the door shut behind me, Aero's gone, I had another hallucination of voices, and I'm pretty damn sure I saw something that I wasn't supposed to see yesterday, Otacon," the man growled tiredly and let go of his head. "It's… something is wrong with me, and I'm fairly sure it's not from the PTSD."

He blinked. _"Huh?"_

Snake looked around for a moment before trying to take a deep breath and trying to keep his voice even. "All right. Two days ago, when I was in the kitchen about to feed Aero, I had this really weird encounter. It was a ghost- Liquid's ghost."

The _otaku_ adjusted his glasses and cocked his head. He had confusion etched in his features, leaning back in his chair. _"So, if I'm hearing this right, when you were making Aero's meal the other night- you saw Liquid's ghost."_ He typed in some things and frowned, shaking his head. "_Well, I can assure you there's no sign of Liquid anywhere that I can see right now."_

"Doesn't mean I didn't see him," he retorted quietly, moving inside to facility more and once again taking out his gun.

Something felt wrong about all of this. Or maybe it was just the fact that his faithful companion had gone missing without any trace as to where she could have gone.

* * *

She had the same feeling, despite being miles away from her former boyfriend. Bursting into the console room, Meryl had a look of petrified fear unfurling on her face. Mei Ling and Otacon looked up from their computers, and Mei Ling blinked. "Uh, nothing's burning, is it? Or are we going to die soon?"

Meryl shook her head. "It's about the huskies outside. Something's really wrong with them. It's like they're all just having heart attacks at sporadic times and everything!" She stared at the other woman in the room. "Can you just come outside and make sure I'm not imagining things and watching them whine incessantly?"

"I thought you were the dog-sitter," Mei Ling replied innocently, getting up from her chair and taking off her headset.

The redhead just shot the Asian a dirty look before motioning for her to shut the door when she walked outside. She knew that Snake cared for dogs, and from personal experience at his house, she also understood that he would be deeply concerned if he was actually witnessing something like this happening. She gestured to the huskies, watching Mei Ling's jaw slowly open in horror. "My god," was all she could whisper.

The creatures were on the ground, whimpering and crying to one another. Snake sheltered a grand total of fifteen huskies in his home, and right now, four of them were in the snow, their eyes closed. Mei Ling ran over to one of the huskies as best as she could and bent over to feel a pulse on one of them.

There was none.

She glanced at Meryl, who was now holding one in her lap and shaking her head in despair. "This one's gone," she muttered.

"I've got a dead one here, too," Mei Ling told her sorrowfully.

The girls shared a moment of mourning with one another, and Meryl stood up. She held the dead husky pup in her arms and bit her top lip gently. "It's almost as if they died of a heart attack," she whispered.

Mei Ling shook her head. "You're talking in the form of…?"

Meryl didn't say anything.

"That's impossible! That's physically impossible for a dog to catch a human virus and be affected by it!" The Asian's eyes shone with confusion. "Isn't it?"

Her friend couldn't offer a response. Yes, something was wrong, she could tell.

The only issue was this- how do you tell your ex-flame his husky pups are dying off by a new strand of disease? All at the same time?

* * *

**More questions are now being _raised_ instead of answered. What's wrong with the huskies? Where did Aero go? What's up with Snake's hallucinations? :grin: Oh, you'll find out soon enough, my friends. VERY soon enough.**


	10. Worries

**-grins- Oh, mai. Looks like Snake has some issues going on here.**

**Thanks for reviewing** Andi Mack, MutantLover09, badkidoh, FernClaw, Dragonchild, SolidSakesShadow, Sons of Ocelot

* * *

10. Worries

It was just too strange being back on Shadow Moses. Snake kept out a wary eye with his gun kept leveled in front of him. The hulking Abrams tanks sat in the hanger to the outside canyon, and he couldn't help but feel like someone was still watching him. He felt like an old friend coming back to visit someone he hadn't seen in a long time. This friend that he had seen, though, was someone he had never wanted to visit again. Quietly, he moved forward and kept a wary eye out for anyone that could possibly attack him, even if the facility seemed deserted.

Something felt different about being here.

_"I've removed all obstacles…"_

Snake lowered his weapon and looked around in shock. He knew that voice.

_"Now you and I will battle to the death."_

He stood there for several moments, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth. What the hell was with all these hallucinations that he had been getting? A sensation of vertigo overtook him for a moment, and he had to get on one knee for a few seconds, trying to steady himself. Mei Ling's voice came into ear, sounding worried. _"Snake, are you okay?"_

He grimaced and grunted for a couple of seconds, holding his head in one hand and his gun in another. Finally, he took a deep breath and nodded, mostly to himself. "I'm fine, Mei Ling. Just a sense of vertigo for a couple of moments. Nothing that you have to get worked up about. Listen, I'm going on. This place gives me the creeps." He signed off and didn't move for a couple moments.

_"I will kill you, or you will kill me. It makes no difference…"_

Snake shook his head and walked through the entrance to the canyon, watching the door open and sighing. He had no idea where he was going, no idea why he was hearing voices again, no idea where Aero had run off to. He pointed his weapon outside into the canon when the door had completely opened and found himself face to face with the hulking pile of a tank that lay around thirty feet away from him.

Great. More memories.

Grimacing, Snake walked forward ever so slowly.

* * *

"You think we should tell him?" Otacon asked, typing in some things and watching Snake move across the canyon way and stopping.

Meryl looked lost in thought, not appearing to have heard Otacon talking. A husky moaned next to her on the couch, and she dimly remembered how fond Snake was of huskies being on the sofa next to him. Quietly, she scratched behind the dog's ears and looked up from the floor, sighing and rubbing her head. "You know what? I'll tell him. You're supposed to be keeping a watch on his progress. I'm supposed to be watching his huskies."

Blinking, the _otaku_ nodded and turned back to his workstation as the redheaded female called Snake. "We have a problem here."

Snake sounded tired and nervous._ "What do you mean by a problem?"_

"It has to do with the huskies."

The shuffling of snow on the other end of the line stopped and there was a sound of a weapon being holstered. Snake's voice suddenly had a tint of worry in it. _"What do you mean it's about the huskies?"_

Meryl shifted in her seat slightly, scratching her head and giving a huge sigh. She tried to sound neutral, but it couldn't be helped that a twinge of sadness began to seep into her voice. "Well, they're dying one after another. Mei Ling and I are trying to figure out what happened and why they're going at such a fast pace, but there's really no answer to it right now that we can give to you."

No response. She frowned. Surely he would have something to say about the matter. "Dave, are you…?"

_"I'm fine,"_ he replied tersely. _"I'm just trying to comprehend what you're actually saying. Those words coming out of your mouth- is it really true? Or are you attempting to pull some sick and twisted joke on me in the middle of a mission?"_

"I wouldn't do that to you. I never would want to, and I don't plan on starting to try and make you feel worse than you probably already do," she snapped back.

Snake's feet meshed through thick snow, the grating of boot and frozen water meeting her ears. _"Figure out how they're dying, and when you do that, call me."_

He signed off, leaving Meryl, Mei Ling, and Otacon alone in silence for a couple of moments. The man finally just typed in some more things and sighed, wincing. Mei Ling cast him a worried look and walked over to him while Meryl leaned over the nearest husky and checked on it to make sure it was okay. She noticed it whimpering and rubbed its back, biting her lip. "What could be the cause…?"

Otacon shrugged, squinting at the screen. "I dunno. It doesn't make much sense. Huskies just don't drop dead without a fast-acting disease slamming into them or something along those lines." He turned to Mei Ling, who turned away and walked back to the computer on her side. "What is it?"

"Don't you hear it?" she asked softly.

The other two blinked and glanced at her. Mei Ling sat frozen at the station and turned to Meryl, who rubbed the dog a little more and shook her head in response. "What are you talking about?"

"Listen."

Surprised by the mysterious and frightened tone the Asian woman carried, Meryl stopped rubbing the husky's stomach and closed her eyes, listening to the silence in the room and not making any movements. Otacon quit typing after receiving an evil glare from his computer counterpart and closed his eyes as well, listening to the quietness of the room, with the exception of the whirring of the computer.

There was a hiss.

_"Snake…"_

Meryl froze. The hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up.

_"Where are you, hero…? You're not here to watch your friends suffer while you play hide-and-seek…"_

Mei Ling glanced over at her friend. Her face showed a look of petrified worry. She pointed to the air and seemed to mouth,_ "Who the hell is talking?"_

_"Snake, you'd leave your friends just to hunt for something only you care about? That's not the Snake I remember…"_

Otacon didn't move. His eyes widened in shock as he slowly got up out of his chair and walked around to where Meryl and Mei Ling were, rubbing his head in shock. The other two looked around and saw nothing.

_"You were fools to help him. You know this mission will never work."_

The _otaku _gasped. "Wolf…?!"

_"Correct. Saladin, Fox, and I all decided it was about time you three had a little bit of a visiting. Since Solid Snake is going to get his own little encounter of the past once more in due time…" _Wolf's thick accent was clearly heard through the room, even if the trio saw no one standing anywhere. _"Surely you all should realize by now that a terrible fate will befall upon your hero."_

Meryl felt her blood freeze. The first thing that came to her mind was her nightmare she had just a couple hours beforehand- Snake dying on the island. He placed a hand over her mouth and felt a lump welling in her throat. "No…"

Otacon looked down at the floor with an odd feeling forming in his throat as well. "Saladin… could that Big Boss?"

Meryl shivered slightly. "What is going on? God, this is unbelievable… the ghosts of the past?"

_"Who knows?"_ a deep voice commented. _"He always seemed to have a tendency for battle and death in his genes. It does not surprise me, to say the least. The child is a soldier, bred for battle and nothing more. He will engage in battle today in more ways than you can possibly imagine…"_

_"Bukeneng,"_ Mei Ling uttered, closing her eyes in disbelief. "He must be lying, right?"

There was no answer to this remark. A cold wind blew inside the room, causing them to shiver simultaneously. And it wasn't just from the frigid temperature of the air.

* * *

She dug around in the snow, whining to herself and nuzzling the frozen ice as if it was some sort of dead animal. Her master must find the cure. It was the only way to make sure he felt better, and she knew that. He had been looking so sad, so depressed these days when his friend had come over. He had not believed in anything except that he could have died a year ago. He had been having nightmares, too- horrible ones.

He had screamed "Liquid" in his sleep at one time, and it woke her up. It was just horrifying.

She nuzzled her way through once more and perked her ears up in confusion. That smell- it was kind of weird. Kind of disgusting…

The smell of medicine.

Aero looked upwards and howled slightly before running off in the snow and panting. Would she make it in time?

* * *

"What the…"

Snake blinked in astonishment. He held his gun steady and stared forward, a determined look in his eyes once more. He could have sworn he had heard footsteps. As he stood on the spot for a couple of moments, he saw a figure walking towards him… through a wall? He bit his cheek and watched the thing walk through the wall, his weapon aimed at whatever it was. 'It's nothing that interesting,' he thought to himself, feeling sweat form on his forehead. 'Nothing at all…'

The figure appeared and whined with familiarity. He lowered his weapon. "Aero?!"

Sure enough, the husky came walking through the walls and onto the battlefield where he had once fought Vulcan Raven and his rather large Abrams tank. He holstered the weapon cautiously and stared at the dog for a moment. "How did you do that?" he managed to get out hoarsely. "Where did you go? What the… I…"

Aero whined slightly and seemed to motion to Snake to follow her. Warily, the mercenary followed his companion and reached the snow bank where she had just came out of. He placed his hand on what he thought was snow and gasped. It went right through the bank and onto another side. Swallowing, Snake walked through the bank and stared at the sight in front of him.

He was in the snowfield. The one in which he had fought Sniper Wolf.

He didn't understand what was going on. Otacon came through on the Codec. _"Snake- how did you do that? You went from one end of the island to another! That is physically impossible! You can't do that!"_

"I know I can't, Otacon. Problem is, I'm pretty damn sure I just did the impossible again."

* * *

**I bet I threw you for another loop. MGS is made of so many loops and crap... ANYWAYS, **_bukeneng_ **means "impossible" in Chinese. And what was the point of going through the snow bank to reveal some location that ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE CONNECTED IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM?!!! -smirks- Ah, but see. Therein is the beauty of fanfic. You will see in due time, my friends. It will show you what I have planned. In the meantime, go and tell me what you thought of this one. It's LOOONG. :D**


	11. Cures

**It appears I have successfully confused people with Aero and what the heck just happened last chapter! –smiles- You have NO IDEA how excited I am for this chapter.**

**Thanks for reviewing **FernClaw, badkidoh, Andi Mack, Sons of Ocelot, AngelSnake, MutantLover09, Dragonchild

* * *

11. Cures

He didn't know how in the world he got there, but it satisfied him to know that his dog actually knew the way. Snake holstered the weapon and knelt down, scratching Aero behind the ears and morphing his face into thought and contemplation. The noise of the snow faded out of his existence as he closed his eyes and stopped scratching the dog. The knot in his stomach that had been fading in and out during the mission finally smacked him dead on.

He felt his features fall with despair and a strange sort of elatedness. So close- he could taste it for some reason, and yet he knew if he reached the cure, he would regret it. Swallowing, he opened his eyes and glanced down at Aero, who was giving him the queerest inquisitive look. Blinking, he got up from the snow and observed the husky rush towards the opening and shutting doors of the boiler room. She seemed to whine at him again.

"You want me to follow?" he muttered.

He didn't need a reply. Nodding slowly, he walked towards the boiler room and swallowed, feeling his heart slam against his chest. Never in his life had Snake felt so worried about where someone was leading him. But for some reason, it seemed different. This was a dog that was leading him- and even if it was a freakin' bird leading him, he shouldn't have felt this uneasy about it.

He called Otacon on his Codec, and even he was stunned how shaky his voice was. "Something's wrong with this."

"_What do you mean, Snake?"_

"I mean there's something really out of place with me following around my own dog to the spot of where the cure might actually be. There's something really wrong with Aero, but I can't place my finger on it. It's almost like she's become sinister, Otacon. Like a killer dog or something along those lines." He fingered his hands for a split moment before finally looking inside the boiler room and noticing the camera out of commission. "I need more info about the dogs at home. How's it looking?"

Mei Ling spoke up this time, sounding tearful. _"It's bad. They're still dying left and right, all stimulating some sort of disease or a heart attack or something. I think I might have come to a conclusion with them. And as stupid and weird as it sounds, please just listen to me._" She took a deep breath. _"What if…"_

He waited.

"_What if the dogs are infected with something along the lines of a dog-like infection of FoxDie?"_

That caused him to stop in his tracks. Aero turned around and gave him a curious glance. The look on his face was one of shock and pain. "FoxDie… it can't be!"

She sounded desperate, and Meryl's sobbing could be heard in the background. _"It's the only solution right now, Snake. Unless you can figure out another good reason for all the dogs dying, it's the one thing that's killing them."_

He signed off and stood there for several long seconds, frowning and allowing his hand to be unconsciously guided to his pistol. He slipped it out of his holster and gripped it in his sweaty palms. The dog woofed in happiness and ran forward more into the room. He couldn't help but shake his head at her enthusiasm. Were all huskies like this when they spotted something?

* * *

In her mind, it was a simple game of fetch. She glanced down over the edge of the platform and nervously whimpered, watching her owner walk forward and sigh. She could sense his annoyance at the fact that there was no possible way down unless she was tossed over the edge. He was worried he might lose her, and she was quite frightened, too. What if she landed in the lava below? What would happen?

Grumbling and muttering some animated words under his breath, Snake picked up Aero and heaved her over the edge. Her eyes widened with fear as she watched the ground grow larger and larger until… _wham._

She landed on the ground and winced to herself. Good god, that was painful, to say the least. Aero tested her legs gingerly and winced, looking up and watching her owner shimmy along the edge of the corner and keep his gun in his hand, aiming it around the area and breathing heavily.

She paced nervously, grimacing every so often and finally forcing herself to sit. That fall had caused quite the painful landing, and she couldn't help but…

Her ears pricked up. What was he doing…? Sounded like a scuffle or something.

Rising to her paws, Aero limped over to the stairway and proceeded to try and climb. Grunts of pain reached her ears, and she urged herself to climb faster. _'You don't know if he's in any pain or trouble, Aero,'_ she thought. _'C'mon, you can get up there! Move your lazy- and now officially out of shape- ass!'_

Bounding up the stairs suddenly, Aero jumped onto the next floor and gave an internal dog gasp. _'Dave!'_

Her owner was standing in front of her with his weapon out and facing a lone 'guard' in the place- a shadow of sorts, a spirit that had been seemingly haunting him for the past couple of days or even months. He had blond hair and seemed to be giving him a most casual look. His voice had a British accent to it. _"Why do you search for something so lost?"_ he taunted, grinning widely.

"Because I know it's real!" he hissed, keeping his weapon level in front of him. "And damn it, I'm going to find it! I don't care if you're just a hallucination now- you're the only thing standing between me and every day activities now!"

The spirit laughed gaily. _"I'm flattered, brother. But what you will soon learn is that it is not me who is keeping you from doing daily activities. It is everything and nothing at the same time!"_

And with that, it disappeared right in front of their eyes. Aero looked confused. She turned to her owner and cocked her head. _"What was that?"_

Snake didn't reply. He merely kept his gun positioned in front of him and sighed. He shook his head quickly and glanced down at Aero. "You feeling okay after that drop?" he asked the husky quietly, scratching behind her ears. "Sorry about that."

She barked, accepting his apology. He didn't really have much of a choice anyways, so it wasn't exactly his fault in the first place. Aero nuzzled his knees and gave him a sort of smile. He returned it, albeit worriedly. He kept the gun level as he traversed down the steps. He had an aura of fear around him, one that only she could detect. Grumbling, he walked into the next room and took another quick glance around and stared at the elevator. "I hate this thing," he mumbled.

She had to agree- after all, she was not very fond of heights in the first place.

* * *

The trip on the elevator this time had been uneventful, much to the mercenary's relief. He looked around and heard his Codec ringing in his ears. "Yeah?"

"_It's official,"_ Meryl quietly told the man. _"The whole pack is nearly completely gone."_

Snake stopped moving. He lowered his weapon and felt his heart rate decrease dramatically. The breathing slowed, and his voice sounded hoarse. "Nearly gone? H-how many dogs are left, Meryl?"

Mei Ling tried to sound comforting and failed, her voice choking up. _"We count three dogs left, Snake. I'm sorry, but we tried to save the ones that we could. Unfortunately, our efforts weren't enough."_

"What efforts did you take, Mei Ling?" he asked quietly, standing still and looking down at the floor. "Did you at least comfort those who were still alive?"

She sniffled. _"W-we tried to, yes. We isolated the pups that were still alive and everything. In the end, it wasn't enough._"

Snake couldn't bear to hear any more. He signed off and glanced at his faithful companion, who was now howling towards the skies. She must have known about the accident and deaths of the family at home- probably a sixth sense sort of thing. She began to walk forward and glanced backwards. He glanced down at his gun and bit his lip, feeling tears beginning to sting his vision. This day of celebration for finding something so lost was turning into the day from hell.

He followed his dog to the next room and stopped in the doorway. His blood froze as he remembered his dream from merely three days ago. The fact that he had actually seen REX in that dream still gave him shivers down his spine. _'What the hell?'_ was all he could think as he followed Aero into the docking bay for the old Metal Gear.

The Codec rang again, and Otacon's voice was on the other end now. _"Snake, that's REX's holding bay! Aero led you to the largest room in the facility!"_

He sounded numb, calm. "Slight issue here, Otacon."

"_Huh? What are you talking about?"_

"REX isn't in here. It's like they moved it or something. Do you have any knowledge of it being picked up by the Pentagon or something?"

Aero broke away from Snake's side and began to poke around the room quietly, prodding corners and little patches of snow here and there. Otacon made a sort of noise in his throat. _"They would have told me if the did move it, Snake. So unless you don't see it or anything __**or**__ it has some sort of sneaking material on it, REX sound be in there!"_

Snake scowled, exasperated. "Well, it's not."

With that, he signed off again and looked around, narrowing his eyes at any sounds of noise and pawing at the ground. He felt uncomfortable in being in there. He closed his eyes and aimed his weapon around, earning a yelp from Aero, who pawed repeatedly at one spot. He frowned and holstered the weapon, walking over to where she was whining and sifted his hand through the snow.

He called Otacon. "I think we found something."

After a couple of more seconds of running his fingers through the cold and solid substance, Snake felt a circular vial in his hand. The gloved hand clenched it and dug it out of the snow, and an exhausted, triumphant smile unfurled on his features. The liquid appeared to be clearish-blue, not yet frozen from being buried in the snow for what seemed like an eternity. "We found it."

"_Hold on, Snake. Is the stuff in the vial blue with a bit of white to clearish tint?"_

He nodded. "That's exactly how it looks. Otacon, I think we found the cure!"

The _otaku_ relayed this back to the girls, who both cheered happily. Snake gripped the bottle and popped off the top, staring at the cure for several moments.

It was tense as he opened his mouth and swallowed the little amount. Otacon prayed for no acceleration. Meryl wished for no dying. Mei Ling hoped that no one was actually watching her. Snake just asked that he wouldn't fall over in the snow in a heap.

The vial slipped out of his hands, and Snake dropped to his knees. The effect was instantaneous. A burning sensation, like that of heartburn, rushed through his veins. Never in his life on the field and off the field had he felt so much of a hot feeling through his body. He grunted and dug his hands into the snow.

Was this what fast-acting healing was supposed to feel like?

Suddenly, it stopped.

Snake blinked a few times. He glanced down at his hands. His voice was still rough. "Otacon, I think it worked…"

On the other end, the trio's faces relaxed. Mei Ling gave a soft smile. _"In China, they say 'on this world there exists no such impossible tasks, they fear only those with perseverance.' That means that no task in this world is impossible so long as there are willing hearts. Snake, we're all here to back you up, and we were ready to give you a hand lest the cure might not have been… the cure_." She sounded kind. _"We would never give up on you."_

Snake nodded and grinned. "You know… I missed those proverbs of yours."

She giggled a little… as did someone else.

Snake turned around in surprise. Aero stood there, a strange glint in her eyes. She took a step forward. "I'll be damned, Snake. You did it. You found the cure. I would have thought the island would have scared you off."

He frowned, stepping back.

Did she just… speak?

* * *

**YAY! My favorite chapter is finally coming up, beloved readers! Be worried and psyched and prepared to smash me with a bat! The next chapter gives you the plot twist of your lives!**


	12. Reincarnations

**All right, kids. Here it is. Why did Aero laugh? Heh. Read forward, and that undying question will finally be answered.**

**Thanks for reviewing** Sons of Ocelot, badkidoh, FernClaw, MutantLover09, Sonic Phantom, lily moonlight, SolidSakesShadow

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12. Reincarnations

Snake looked at the husky in surprise, his eyes narrowing. Something was wrong. "What happened? Otacon, Aero… she just laughed."

Otacon sounded worried and lost. _"Kind of busy here, Snake. Something bad's going on here, too."_

Snake switched off the communications before looking at Aero once more with wary eyes. "Now I'm officially freaked out. You just laughed like a human being." He pursed his lips. "Who are you anyway? Or should I ask, what are you?"

She gave a sort of soft smile. "I've been you companion for the longest time now, my master. And I'm just so pleased you've finally found the cure to FoxDie. I've been waiting for this day for the longest time now, and it's been such a nice road to travel with you as we looked for the cure together." She nuzzled Snake's leg.

He blinked with shock. He had no words to say to this remark. "I only met you a year ago. It was after the FOXHOUND Rebellion and everything, and I saw you on my doorstep, nearly dead. I took you in and made you one of the family, and as days past, we got closer and closer together. I never once met a dog like you- your intuition was remarkable, your love was unconditional. It was almost like you were Meryl all over again… except with a hell of a lot more fur."

Aero snorted. "You're comparing me with your former girlfriend? Cute. You two were always adorable to look at when asleep in the king-size bed you had. I giggled every time I saw you two all curled up together under that comforter, mumbling to one another these promises of love that you would never be able to keep. However, in talking to me, it was like you were a completely different person- more open, more willing to show those human emotions you had kept bottled up for so long."

Snake grimaced at the memories of him crying to the husky, writing letter after letter to the woman of his dreams and never once sending them to her. He envisioned his speeches to the dog- long, drawn out ramblings about his life in the unit, what happened when he left the unit, and the other missions he was forced to undertake. He clenched his fists and growled lowly. "What the hell does it matter to you if I spilled my human emotions? Aero, you've never done any of this talking crap until… _now."_

"Does it matter? I always talk. Well, you consider it whining, but I always attempt to get something across to you. And you shove it away!" The husky paced and walked away from Snake, turning around then and sighing. She shook her head. "You don't understand, do you? No. You wouldn't ever understand unless you were stuck in _my_ paws."

He stared and slowly moved his hand towards the SOCOM. "Aero… what the hell is going on?"

She gave an eerie giggle. "I'll tell you what's going on. I've been trying to help you in finding the FoxDie cure for an ungodly amount of time so I could be accepted into your family as one of your own. And yet you decide to practically shun my need to be around you all the time!" She pawed the snow for a moment before walking back over to Snake, whose weapon was now dangerously close to being in his hand. "You wanted company, and I practically handed it to you on a platter!"

"I don't get this…" The man shook his head in astonishment, fear, and- for some reason- hate. "Who the hell are you?"

The husky stepped back. "A shadow of your past. A flash of the present. The death of your future," she replied mysteriously. "You know who I am."

Snake shook his head. "How can I know who you are? You're a husky, a dog- my best friend in the world."

"That's a _lie!"_ she suddenly screamed, getting into a crouching position and snarling angrily. "I know it is! You've never seen my true face! _Never_ since we have been companions!" Her body began emitting an unnaturally blue hue as she lowered her head. "You would never understand the pain… the suffering I've had to endure for so long. Can't you recognize anything in front of your damn eyes?! All the signs, all the whines- everything has been to heal you and make sure I can finally live free of this nightmare."

He said nothing in response, his ears ringing and brain churning. Aero's body glowed brighter as she took another step closer to her master. There was a shadow behind her, one of a man from his past. He had his arms crossed, a look of calm etched in his features. The man glanced down at his nails, his voice creating a slight effect behind her speech. "The nightmares that have haunted all of you- they were no coincidence."

The ex-mercenary clenched his fists. '_What the hell…?'_

Aero giggled, her voice slowly changing and mutating. "What's wrong, Snake? You look as if you're seeing a ghost from the past. You should live in the present or look forward to the future. Or are you afraid of what could happen now?" There was another flash of the man behind her. Slowly, her features began to dissipate into sky-blue mist. "Oh, don't be afraid, Snake. I'll be back." Her eyes glinted, the voice dropping an octave. "I'll make sure of it."

That voice- he froze. He took a step back, his breathing becoming erratic. "No…"

"Yes," the voice replied deeply, no longer of a feminine tone. "I told you not to be afraid, Snake. But did you listen? No." The dog was gone, nothing more than one with the air around them. However, in her place stood an older male- one with his arms crossed and holding a casual posture despite the rising tension in the air. "Look at you- you've grown soft, pathetic, nothing more than a puddle of depression. It is a _wonder_ Meryl put up with you for so long."

His voice was choked, his head spinning with disbelief and eyes. "You- how-"

The man pushed a strand of blonde out of his face and laughed lightly. "Is it that impossible to believe?" he whispered. "Come on, you had to have some idea- _little brother."_

Snake didn't move. Liquid Snake merely stood there for a few moments, examining his brother from head to toe and shaking his head, clicking his tongue. "My word, I see why she broke up with you."

"S-shut up," Snake finally managed to spit out, his heart slamming against his chest. "Just s-shut up…"

The blonde grinned. "Confused?"

This was… impossible. He narrowed his eyes. "What do you think?"

"I thought so."

Immediately after this remark, the blonde took off in the opposite direction, startling his brother disappearing into another on the opposite side. Shaking his head and regaining his senses, Snake's hand snapped up the gun and his feet picked up and ran to the door were his brother had ran out. His mind was trying to wrap itself around the idea of what he had just witnessed. His dog, his faithful friend for nearly a year…

…had been his own archenemy, Liquid.

His eyes burned as he reached the door. The hand grabbed the handle and yanked it open, the weapon inside the room before he had even had a chance to look and see if there was anyone in there at all. The hand that was on the door fumbled around, finally hitting the spot of his Codec and giving a panicked whisper. "Otacon, it's a trick."

"_What do you mean. Snake?"_ the _otaku_ replied tersely.

"It's Liquid," he whispered. "He's alive."

Otacon's voice became strained. "_Alive? But he died! You saw him with your very own eyes! He collapsed right…"_

"I _know_ what I saw!" Snake yelled angrily. "But I just saw Aero morph into Liquid right now! And he just ran off, and I have to find him!" He turned off the Codec and looked in the hallway, his blood pumping.

This wasn't- this _couldn't_ be happening…

There was a sudden motion from the right. A left hand snapped out of nowhere and crashed right into Snake's throat. His eyes widened in shock as he dropped the gun and fell towards the floor, his entire world blacking out around him.

All he felt before he fell into complete unconsciousness was his brother's foot smashing into his side.

* * *

…**-beaten with a stick- Oh, am I mean or WHAT? Well, there. Those hallucinations explain a lot now, huh? -smiles- Reviews are loved. Thanks for reading.  
**


	13. Battles

**This chapter was by far and away the most fun for me to write. Liquid's awesome and dramatic speeches, Snake's helplessness to stop a brother consumed by the fire of hate, the representation of flowers and snow… the climax of a story is always the most fun to do. And this was no exception.**

**After reading **Lady Emmerich's** MGS4 story, **_**Exhale,**_** I got this odd idea that could lead up for the next story. It's something you all might forget except for the one reading this, and well… it was inspiring to listen to "Faint" by Linkin Park. I'm not lying. It was very, VERY epic. In this, I dedicate this chapter of Liquid and Snake brotherly hate to Lady E. Enjoy, my wonderful friend.**

**Thanks for those reviews** Sonic Phantom, Lady Emmerich, AngelSnake, badkidoh, PinkPenguin18, MutantLover09

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13. Battles

The first thing Snake felt when he was awake was something wet touching his backside. He blearily blinked, slowly coming to his senses. His fingers wanted to dig into the ground, but for some reason, they didn't want to penetrate the dirt. His throat was dry. "What the hell?"

A familiar voice entered the recesses of his mind. "Not hell, my brother- _heaven."_

Snake blinked. Liquid sounded calm, smug. He groaned, rolling onto his stomach and feeling a cold shock pierce his body. He stared at the ground, shaking his head in disbelief. Impossible- he was lying on snow? With flowers pushing forth from under the beautiful, untainted sea of white? The soldier put his hands on the ground and pushes up slowly. His head throbbed with pain. "Liquid?"

"Who do you think?"

He stood up slowly; grunting and feeling the wind whip his bandana behind him once more. The man turned and saw his brother standing opposite him with his arms crossed. He wore nothing but leather pants once more as he studied his brother. "You talked to me so much when I was a husky, Snake."

Snake noticed that he himself was topless and swore angrily under his breath. "Really. Why don't you enlighten me?"

"You told me everything- genes, the truth about you and I, _everything."_ Liquid bent over and plucked an Amaryllis from the ground. "It's because of you that I learned you had the recessive genes!" He gripped the stem of the flower. "Why? Why would you lie to me?"

The other man shrugged off the brother's anger. "I didn't know either until after the mission. Looks like I didn't tell you that much, did I?"

Liquid said nothing, allowing the Amaryllis to drop from his fingers. Snake glanced around the field. "Where are we, anyway?"

"REX was moved away from here a while ago, and soon after that happened, the roof collapsed. Snow fell during the wintertime, and flowers bloomed thereafter." The blonde gritted his teeth in anger. "The island could start anew and not be an area to hold nuclear weapons. It could start its life all over again without any trace of evil! But I… I had to come back not as a human, but a _dog._" His eyes shone with furious tears. "And once more, I was _garbage!"_

Snake didn't reply.

Liquid pointed a finger right at his brother. "But I refuse to be garbage any longer! I refuse to have no reason left to live! God gave me one more chance to destroy, and I will embrace that chance!"

The raven-haired man glared at Liquid. "You were my husky, my most trusted companion! I loved you, and you betrayed the trust I gave you! I could give less than a crap about your reincarnation theories or how you feel. It's none of my concern. You were my friend!"

Liquid suddenly went quiet, his fists clenched. "Fine. Since you never care about anyone but yourself…"

"That's a lie!" Snake spat.

"…it will be very simple. There will be no nuclear modules to pressure you. No girl to save in the end. No air strike to bomb the building. There will only be you, me, the purest snow beneath our bodies, and the Amaryllises that flock our feet, waiting for the true final battle." The blond didn't move, merely glaring at his brother with purest hatred. "I have learned so much now. I know everything. I understand what brought me here. Destiny has finally allowed no more obstacles to come within our way, brother, and it is finally time to show who is truly the strongest."

Snake looked down at the flowers. White and red Amaryllises flocked at their feet, opened and ready for whatever what would happen. He laughed dryly. "Ironic. Amaryllis means dramatic. Is that what you're aiming for?"

Liquid smiled in response. "If that is what you think, Snake- then yes. It is!"

With this final comment, the blond gave one final glare at his brother and ran forward, slamming his fists into Snake's face. Stunned by this sudden gesture, it was all the ex-mercenary could do to block his attacks from really pummeling him into the ground. Snarling, his brother swung around and punched him once more right between the eyes.

Snake felt not only physical pain from the blows, but mental agony from the thoughts that he had practically failed in keeping a family. His huskies- nearly every single one of them was gone. He gritted his teeth, clenching his fists and moving away from the next punch quickly. His own fist met the stomach of his brother, and it gained him a cry in pain. His mind blurred from events past and present, his thoughts concentrating on one thing- not to fail.

Liquid glanced at Snake for a quick second before swinging his foot and smashing it into his foe's thigh. The man felt his toes slam into the muscles, and he cried out, tears quickly stinging his eyes. He took a stance and punched Liquid across the face, who winced and nearly took a knee on the ground but kept standing, rubbing his hand across the spot where he had been slammed. "Should've looked out for that move now, shouldn't I? After watching all those moves of yours that you have been practicing…"

"Lying to me all this time, you'd better be thankful I didn't hit you _harder,"_ Snake snarled, whirling around and performing a roundhouse right to the neck.

Liquid went flying in the other direction, screaming insanely and meeting frozen soil in the process. Snake held his ground, glaring down at the superior brother and keeping the pose. He wasn't going to get his ass kicked by some guy younger- or older- than him. The other man stumbled to his feet and placed a hand up to his neck, wincing and feeling tears sting his eyes. "Sonofabitch!" he hissed, clenching his fist. "I'm _not_ going to lose!"

Snake didn't budge. "You are."

With an incoherent swear, the blond rubbed his neck and rushed forward once more, his hands ready to grab his brother by the neck. The ex-mercenary was ready, grabbing his hands and grunting as Liquid pushed forward, his eyes narrowing with pain and grunting with despair. His brother had a really strong grip on his hands now, and the fact he was pushing down on him something fierce towards the frozen soil kind of made him worried, to say the least. Their gazes locked, and Snake was certain he had never seen as much pain and desperation in a pair of eyes in his life.

Liquid suddenly twisted his brother around in a surprise seeming dance step and wrenched himself away from the hands that held him down. In a motion of pure grace and sadistic thought, he swirled back around and let out a chilling laugh, his nails grazing his brother's backside with as much force as he could muster. The skin peeled off ever so slightly, epiphylls becoming lodged in his nails.

A scream echoed in the room, followed by a string of swears, tears, and death threats. Snake could feel the blood rush down his back, slithering like his namesake. His body heaved forward once, falling onto the snow once more and scraping his arms and chest in the process. For the first time in his life, Snake felt like he could do nothing.

There was no way to defeat Liquid. Those razor-sharp nails of his seemed almost inhuman. His hands clenched up into fists, his breathing becoming ragged. Liquid took this opportunity to laugh to himself and tower over his sibling, feeling as if he had done some godly deed for the world. He looked down at his brother, cocking his head and feeling a draft through the building. "You might have gotten the cure," he uttered softly, "but you're not going to escape my return."

He brought his foot into his stomach side area, getting a groan in return and the opportunity to watch Snake crawl to his feet like a disabled child. Blood trickled down from his mouth and the side of his face. His eyes were stricken with the light of nothingness, his voice sounding like nothing he had ever heard before. It was pleading, full of worry and apprehension. "S-stop your return?" he spluttered, stumbling back and squeezing his eyes shut as to stop the tears from falling. "I-I'm not going to let you come back… Liquid…"

"You think that?" he laughed, clenching his fist and slamming it across Snake's face. "Don't you realize that you've failed that mission, then? Haven't you recognized that you mean absolutely nothing to this planet now? Your mission has been fulfilled." He cast a soured look and turned around, stroking his chin. "How sick. You live for not yourself, but everyone else. You were bred for war, not love."

Snake coughed, shaking unconsciously. "Don't turn your back on me."

The blond stood there for several moments, contemplating these words. He shrugged then. "Why should I listen to you, _brother?"_

"I won't be ignored," he growled, making no attempt to move. "You know I'll come hunting for you, Liquid. And I won't give up on the chase."

"That's the point," Liquid replied lazily. "I don't _want_ you to give up the chase on me. It makes life seem more full, more complete. Two brothers, following each other everywhere they go. And you know how much I love being chased. But once you finally catch up with me…" Here, he walked forward slightly, smirking and glancing out the hole in the wall. It was a long jump down, but it didn't deter him from his next movements. "…you might not want to know the real secret that's been hidden for so long from both of us."

Snake doubled over in pain and nearly screamed out when the scratches in his back, sent pain waves to his brain. He didn't have a chance to stop his brother as he casually jumped out the hole in the wall and fell seemingly hundreds of feet within seconds.

His hand went up to his ear, and he wearily contacted Nastasha. "Can you bring the helicopter to the underground base where REX was once held?"

"_That's underground, fool,"_ she replied teasingly.

He groaned. "I said where REX was being held. There's a huge hole in the wall now- somehow. I don't know, don't ask- and another large one in the ceiling. If you can come through the one in the roof and help me get out of here, I'd really love that."

Natasha sounded worried as she started up the engines. _"What happened? You sound as if you were just flung into the wall by that hulking piece of a nuclear weapon for a couple of hours."_

He gave a bitter chuckle. "You don't know the half of it."

* * *

**So, the next chapter **_**is**_** the last chapter, and that means we've got some sad things, happy things, bitter ideas, sweet ideas, the works. Plus we get to figure out what happened to Liquid. We all know **_**something**_** did happen because… well, there's going to be a sequel. LAWLZ YES, I'm creating a sequel to this, and I hope it'll go just as well as this one. It's going to be called "Eternal Damnation," and it's going to have an underlying theme that's totally off of Metal Gear's tangent. I trust you all will enjoy it, though, as I hope you enjoyed this chapter… somewhat. Thanks for reading!**


	14. Hopes

**Jeez, isn't this sappy? The end of my very first Metal Gear multi-chaptered fan fiction. Well, I really hope you all enjoyed this journey of angst, drama, and friendship. That being said, I'm very content in announcing that Eternal Damnation will hopefully be out in a few days. But for now, take solace in this fic's final chapter, set to the song from the Metal Gear Solid 4 Original Soundtrack, "Love Theme," and "30 Minutes" by T.A.T.U.  
**

**LADY EMMERICH, YOU ARE THE COOLEST METAL GEAR SOLID WRITER EVER.**

**Thanks for reviewing** PinkPenguin18, FernClaw, Sonic Phantom, badkidoh, Lady Emmerich

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14. Hopes

Gently, the helicopter landed in front of the house, and Nastasha killed the engine within seconds of the touch-down. The doors to the home were flung open, and the trio inside rushed outside, their faces sheet white. Meryl gripped the handle of the door and tugged, her eyes shining with tears. Fear gripped her like a hand choking one's windpipe, and her body shuddered unconsciously from the freezing winds. Nastasha took the handle gently from her friend and nodded slowly. "Jacket first," she quietly uttered.

She shook her head. "I need to see him first."

The Ukrainian stood there, her eyes steady. "Otacon," she spoke, her tongue rolling slightly. "Get this girl a coat."

The _otaku_'s feet pulled themselves to the shelter once more and were out before you could yell "Metal Gear REX!", he was back outside and tossing the coat to Meryl. The woman caught it in an offhand sort of way and slipped it on, giving Nastasha a pleading look. She opened the door and held up a hand. "He's in bad shape," she told them flatly. "Be careful. He's fragile now."

No one spoke as she lifted Snake's body out of the helicopter with as much grace as a shaken woman could muster. His eyes closed, his chest moving centimeter by centimeter, Otacon felt as if he could have been coming back from Iraq. The Ukrainian walked slowly into the house, wincing with every couple of steps. Her friend's body was heavier now that it was ever-growing dead weight. She stepped inside, looking around and spotting the couch in the corner. "He goes there," she decided and laid his body down on the sofa.

The others watched her step back, everyone taking a collective gasp.

Snake was a mess. His face looked bloody, the bandanna torn to shreds, and bruises gathering themselves upon the surface. He took a short gasp, coughing harshly and nearly rolling off the side. Meryl, however, was quick to come to his aid and caught his upper torso, pushing him back slightly onto the couch and giving him a gaze of tearful joy. "You _ass._ I told you that you would need me, and you decided to push me away on this mission."

"I can be a real bastard," he mumbled.

The other two gathered around him while Nastasha quietly slipped outside to smoke a cigarette.

Mei Ling sat on the arm of it and shook her head. "We were all so worried when we heard Nastasha come over the Codec. She sounded worried sick about you, Snake! We didn't know if you had died or something!"

Otacon was silent. Meryl's head was on the side of his chest. Her hand slipped into his, her voice hoarse. "You were cured, but you still end up like you've seen hell and went back to visit for a few hours."

"Because he did."

The ladies glanced at the engineer, who pushed his glasses up farther. His voice wavered, a choking sound made in his throat. Eyes watered, threatening the eternal friend to break down into hysterical sobs with on only joy for his friend returning, but for pain and despair at the state he now laid in. "Aero… Aero was Liquid the whole time."

Mei Ling's hand slowly went to her mouth, but Meryl never moved. Snake groaned slightly. The redhead's voice was broken. "…as in, Liquid came back to life?"

"Exactly," Otacon affirmed, collapsing to his knees. "H-he's- he's alive."

Snake moaned again and shifted on his back. Mei Ling cocked her head and gently laid her hand on his cheek. Everyone turned to her in surprise, but she didn't back away from the gesture she just issued. The Asian pushed his head in her direction, and his eyes fluttered open. She merely gazed into those broken eyes and tilted her head before mouthing something to him.

He shook his head. "It hurts too much," he whimpered.

She continued to stare at him pleadingly.

Finally biting his lip and allowing tears to come to his eyes, he shifted only slightly and rolled over until he was on his side. His lip quivered as Meryl stroked his hair and Mei Ling checked his back. A gasp caught in her throat, and she couldn't help but shake her head and turn away from the sight. Otacon's face paled as he too took a glance at his friend's back. "My god… what happened?"

"I'm guessing blood loss," Nastasha stated, coming from the outside and folding her arms across her chest. "Something got to him and really got a nice couple of scars on his back. If what you say is true and Liquid is alive, I'm thinking _he_ might have had something to do with this."

Snake growled roughly in response.

Meryl bit her lip. "Now what are we going to do…?"

Somewhere, a small whine was heard. Heads turned in every direction, looking for the source of the familiar sound.

Snake closed his eyes and gave another slight cough. He pointed weakly over by the computer. "By the wires," he rasped. "Who knows if it could choke on anything…?"

Mei Ling flashed him an odd look before walking over and gasping in surprise. She picked up the little husky pup and holding it in her caring arms. Nastasha blinked and strode over to her friend from the FOXHOUND Rebellion. Her hand reached out and petted the little animal with surprising gentleness. "How in the world…?" Her head turned to Snake, who was still on the couch, wheezing and shuddering. "How did you know?"

He shook his head slowly. "I-I just did. I can't explain it."

The woman walked over to Otacon, who took the pup in his own arms and nuzzled it. It gave a small yip and licked his nose and part of his glasses. He gave a slight smile and brushed its fur. The hair seemed to warm not only his fingers, but also his heart. The husky buried its head into the man's chest, whimpering silently. He cuddled it, giving Snake a forlorn stare. He was just like a lost dog- all he wanted was a little love.

Meryl's hand stayed in Snake's cold own. "What can we do?"

"Only thing we should do until things get better," Snake rasped.

Mei Ling bit her lip, looking down at the floor and swallowing back a choked sob. Otacon hugged the husky close to his chest, staring at his closest friend he had ever had. Nastasha leaned against the wall, taking in the scene and casting her eyes towards the edge of the wall. Meryl's hand gently combed her ex-flame's hair, her eyes shining with tears.

David slowly opened his eyes again. He gave a weak smile. "Let's hope. For anything good that will come out of this."

Mei Ling nodded. "What do we have… if we do not have hope?"

Silence followed this comment as the band of friends embraced what little hope they had left in the world.

* * *

_I have been damned for eternity. I will no longer walk this earth with the same steps I used to take. The scars of the FOXDIE Episode will forever remain not only as physical wounds, but also as emotional marks of the pain I endured while trying to cure myself of not only my sickness, but of my mind. The pain is still real as I finish these final words, and now all I will remember are the simple words once said not to me, but to a friend. I cannot help but believe that these will be applied to me in the not to distant future, knowing that __**he**__ is still out there, hunting for me._

"_I'll send you back to __**hell!"**_

_That is damnation- everlasting punishment._

_No one has ever heard of eternal damnation_

_Until now.

* * *

_

…**god, I'm a tease.**

**Thanks for ALL those reviews…** FernClaw, Hordak's Pupil, Lady Emmerich, Jag Lady, MutantLover09, Andi Mack, Marie Nomad, drybonesreborn, solid man, lily moonlight, AngelSnake, The Shadow Syndicate, Dragonchild, cardboredbox, The Python, badkidoh, SolidSakesShadow, Sons of Ocelot, Sonic Phantom

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**It's because of you that I finished this story. Not hits, but the continuous amount of reviews and support I got for this. It's inspired me to new heights, my friends. –hugs all- You can expect to see more multiple chaptered works out here VERY soon. Such as the sequel to Damnation: **_Eternal Damnation._ **I'm treading into new territory with it, so… hold on to your seat, ladies and gents. It's only just begun.**

**Much love and hope to see y'all really soon.**

**Shining Zephyr**


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